Hindsight
by Nate Grey
Summary: An older Bonnie Rockwaller shows up on her own doorstep, claiming to be from the future. Unfortuntely, she's willing to turn the current Bonnie's life upside down to prove it... and THAT's the GOOD news.
1. Default Chapter

Notes: I needed to do this. Partially because someone demanded more Bonnie/Tara fics, and because it had been floating around my head and taking up valuable space. And we can't have that.

Summary: Bonnie Rockwaller shows up on her own doorstep, claiming to be from the future. But when her dark predictions keep coming true, present Bonnie suspects her Shegoton counterpart is somehow causing them to occur.

**Hindsight**

**A Kim Possible Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

Bonnie Rockwaller woke up as something soft and pleasantly fragrant ticked her cheek. Blinking sleep from her eyes, she looked to the left to find her best friend's blond head resting lightly on her shoulder. A glance at the clock above the TV showed that it was just past midnight, and the TV itself was showing some commercial about a tampon with wings that apparently actually did make flight capable. Sighing, Bonnie picked up the remote, turned off the TV, and debated whether she should get them both to bed now and risk waking Tara, or wait a little longer in hopes that Tara would wake up on her own.

The second idea proved best, as Tara moaned softly and opened her eyes a moment later. "Mmm...Bonnie?" she asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes. "Did we miss the movie?"

"Looks like it," Bonnie replied, absently checking her shoulder and front for drool. "Guess we should take this as a sign and go to bed, huh?"

"We'd just fall asleep again if we did anything else," Tara reasoned through a yawn. "Besides, what's the point of us spending tomorrow together if all we do is sleep through it?"

In truth, the thought of lying in bed all day with Tara just a few inches away was oddly comforting to Bonnie. It was so easy to appreciate her best friend's presence, even when they weren't really doing anything at all. No one else had that kind of effect on her, nor did Bonnie let her guard down around anyone else. Tara was someone she trusted completely and without reservations. That was why when her mother and older sisters had left town on a business trip, Bonnie had called Tara to keep her company. She could've just as easily called any other girl on the cheer squad (save Kim), but Tara was the only one she would've honestly enjoyed having around the whole weekend.

Tara's voice broke into her thoughts. "Uh oh. I think I left my change of clothes at the game tonight."

Bonnie shrugged. "So you can borrow some of mine. We can stop by and look for them in the morning."

"But I was sitting next to Kim right before we left. Maybe she saw them and picked them up for me."

It was the kind of thing Kim would've done, being decent and thoughtful and whatnot. "Maybe," Bonnie admitted. "Call her from my room. Her number should be...third on speed dial, right after Brick's."

Tara blinked in surprise. "You have Kim on speed dial?"

Bonnie smirked. "Well, she IS on the squad, and you never know when I might have to gloat by phone."

"Um...okay." Tara gave her an odd look.

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Call her already. I'll make sure everything down here is locked."

"See you in a minute," Tara called over her shoulder as she went upstairs.

Normally, Bonnie didn't give much thought to home security, but the combination of being left in charge of the house and having Tara over made her much more mindful of it. Any other time, she would've just armed the system and gone to bed, but tonight she went through the trouble of performing the various area checks. Before she could finally arm the system, though, the unthinkable happened.

The doorbell rang.

Bonnie's first thought was not to answer the door. No one she knew would dare come to her house so late without calling first. On the other hand, it was probably an emergency. It would have to be, if the person expected to get into her house at all.

Curiosity got the better of her, so Bonnie peered through the peephole. She could only make out a great deal of brown hair and a fairly impressive figure, considering she only had a peephole view to work with.

"Who are you?" Bonnie asked bluntly.

"Distant family," the woman replied. "I have something that belongs to you, Bonnie."

The voice sounded somewhat familiar, but Bonnie couldn't really place it.

"You'll have to do better than that. I don't normally lose things."

"Believe me, I know. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that right now, you're wearing a football-shaped locket that reads, 'For Bonnie, Hottest Babe I Know'."

Bonnie's heart stopped. The locket was actually in her pocket, only because she thought Tara would laugh at Brick's latest attempt at being romantic. But that was still a very accurate description of it.

"How do you know that?"

"Because I happen to have the very same locket on me right now."

"WHAT?" Bonnie flung open the door, her temper getting the best of her. "I don't know you think you are, but Brick is-"

"So not worth our time, Bonnie," the woman sighed, turning to face her for the first time. "We have much more important matters to discuss."

Bonnie felt her knees turning to mush. She wobbled in the doorway, and started to sink slowly to the floor, but the woman stepped forward and caught her, dragging her into the house and closing the door.

"Sorry about this. But I couldn't exactly warn you without sounding crazy, could I?" the woman asked, pulling Bonnie over to the couch.

"But I...you can't be...not possible..." Bonnie murmured.

"Afraid it is, sugarplum. Unlikely, I'll admit, but real. You go ahead and pass out if you need to. I'll still be here when you wake up."

"Sugarplum," Bonnie said faintly. "Only Daddy called me that..."

"Force of habit. Sort of. It's complicated." The woman shrugged. "As I'm sure you've figured out for yourself. I guess, in a way, I feel like a parent, seeing you like this. Not to say you're a child, you're just...obviously younger."

Before Bonnie could reply, they were interrupted by a voice from upstairs.

"Bonnie? Is everything okay down there?"

The color seemed to drain out of the woman's face. "Tara?" she whispered brokenly. "She's...alive?"

That question unnerved Bonnie to no end. "Of course she is!"

The woman took several deep breaths. "You don't understand. She-"

"Can't see you here," Bonnie interrupted. "She'll take it even worse than I did, no doubt. So tell me what you want and go."

"It's not that simple," the woman protested. "There are so many things that I need to tell you, and I don't have a lot of time left. Just tell Tara I'm family. That's true enough."

"I'm not going to lie to her!"

"It's not a lie! How else do you explain my face? The locket? Knowing your father's nickname for you?"

Bonnie looked away, not because she was avoiding the questions, but because if she had to look at that face for one more moment...

"Bonnie?" Tara asked again, sounding much closer this time. "I'm coming down."

"Hide!" Bonnie hissed frantically, leaping off of the couch and trying to shove the woman into the hall closet.

"No," the woman said firmly, shrugging her off. "She needs to know!"

"How can you say that? I didn't need to know! Neither of us do! Now get out!"

The woman smirked at her. "I never thought I'd say this, but when I was your age, I was a real bit-"

"Bonnie, why didn't you answer me?" Tara asked as she stepped off of the stairs and came to an abrupt halt. Her eyes widened, and her hand flew to her mouth. Finally, she swallowed noisily and whispered, "Bonnie...how come there's two of you?"

* * *

Tara couldn't shake the feeling that Bonnie wasn't being entirely truthful about the visitor. This was largely because she knew Bonnie had never lied to her before, and suddenly there was a great deal of tension between them...at least, on Bonnie's part.

"She's not really your aunt, is she?" Tara asked when they'd retired to Bonnie's bed for the night.

Bonnie remained silent, her eyes fixed firmly on the wall.

Tara sighed and drew her legs up, resting her chin on her knees. "If it's some sort of big family secret, you know I wouldn't say anything."

"She's family," Bonnie muttered. "Let's just leave it at that, okay?"

"So...how long is Aunt Bonita going to be crashing in Connie's room?"

"Don't know. Didn't think to ask."

"Did you notice she stared a lot?"

Bonnie sighed. "She doesn't. She was just staring at you."

"Why?"

"Don't wanna talk about it right now."

"...Bonnie, do you want me to leave?" Tara asked softly.

Bonnie sat up at once. "And leave me alone with HER? Are you nuts?"

"Well, you're not acting like you want me around anymore," Tara pointed out.

Bonnie closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm sorry, T. It's just...her being here is really freaking me out. It's not you, I swear."

Tara relaxed somewhat. "Then why did you let her in?"

"I didn't realize who she was at first. She probably would've just broken in, anyway."

"Is she dangerous?"

"Since I let her in, probably not. Mostly, she just wanted to talk."

"And you don't want to? What did she do to make you dislike her so much?"

"Aside from ruining a perfectly good sleepover? She told me something I didn't want to hear. Something I don't ever want to hear."

"What?" Tara asked.

Bonnie started to answer. But then she made the mistake of looking at her best friend. All it took was a glance into those big, blue shining eyes in the darkness, and her throat went dry. She sighed and licked her lips. "It's not something I want to repeat."

"Oh." Tara couldn't hide the flash of hurt and disappointment in her eyes as she looked away.

Bonnie rolled onto her side and stared angrily at the wall. She didn't like having to hide things from Tara. But she could hardly repeat what Bonita had told her. It could very well be the ravings of a madwoman.

Even worse, it could be the truth.

She didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to believe anything Bonita had said. But her story was starting to make more sense, and the look on her face when she'd first heard Tara's voice seemed too painful to fake.

Bonnie knew she would have to make a choice in the morning. Either she would call the police, or she would listen to what Bonita had to say. She was still considering her options when a hand lightly touched her back.

"Sweet dreams, Bonnie."

Bonnie closed her eyes and tried to imagine what it would be like to never hear that voice again.

Ten minutes later, she woke up in a cold sweat, her body shuddering violently. In that moment, Bonnie knew her decision had already been made. Taking a deep breath, she rolled over and stared at Tara's sleeping but troubled face.

If there was any chance that she might never see that face again, she had to do everything in her power to prevent it.

"Some things are too precious to lose," Bonnie murmured, slipping her hand gently over Tara's as she laid back down. It was a long time before sleep claimed her again, but by then, Tara's troubled look had given way to a serene smile.

* * *

She had meant to wake up early, at least before the girls did, but her own body had a way of defying her will, no matter how strong she assumed each was.

So she was mildly disappointed, but not all that surprised, when someone shook her awake.

"Hey. Auntie. Wake up."

She was vaguely aware of a hand in her hair, but, recognizing it as her own, the only move she made was to open one bleary eye.

Bonnie was kneeling in front of her, frowning. Tara stood at the door, looking both confused and maybe a little frightened.

"You look like hell," Bonnie commented.

She smirked weakly. "Oh, good. Was afraid I only felt like it."

"Well, you better not be faking to try and get sympathy."

Her face paled. "You want proof, hand me that trash can. Quick."

Several trash cans later, she was starting to feel better. But that only meant there was nothing else to puke up.

"Okay," Bonnie said finally. "Either you're pregnant, or you're sick. And I'm betting it's the second one."

"Got it in one, sugarplum," she whispered, shuddering slightly.

Bonnie's left eye twitched, as if she were going to protest being called that, but she took one long look at her 'aunt' and decided against it, for some reason. "And I guess you're in no mood to talk?"

"Nope. Gonna do it anyway, though," she murmured, slowly sitting up in bed. "We don't have a lot of time. It's a matter of life and death. Literally." Her eyes flicked over to Tara, who took a step back. "Don't be afraid, cutie. I'm in no shape to hurt anyone. That's not what I'm here for."

"Then why are you here?" Tara asked, trying to sound polite.

She smiled wistfully. So much like her own Tara, it was scary. Well, not really. More sad, and ages of missing her smile had...well, enough of that.

"Call me crazy, but I'm trying to keep you two alive just long enough to regret my being here."

Tara shot Bonnie a helpless look. "Um...what?"

"It's only going to get weirder from here on in." She paused and looked at Bonnie. "Your call, sugarplum."

Bonnie blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I would consider some of this stuff private. You okay with her hearing? Not much of it is pleasant news."

Bonnie didn't even look over her shoulder to gauge Tara's reaction. "Talk. Tara isn't going anywhere."

She could feel the start of a smile stretching across her face, so she got rid of it quickly. "Good. Bad news first."

* * *

Bonnie was not surprised that there were some holes in Auntie's story. What surprised her was that it was some time before she actually noticed them.

First and foremost, there was no detailed mention of exactly how she'd time traveled. Bonnie wasn't particularly interested, especially if it was the cause of her vomiting episode. If it wasn't, that was definitely something to ask her about later (the sickness, not the time travel).

The second hole was Auntie's description of Shego (or the Supreme One, as she insisted on calling her). Rather, it was the rich detail in which she described Shego that made Bonnie curious. For one thing, it implied that she knew the woman personally, and for another, if Shego was as bossy and paranoid as Auntie made her out to be, why would she let any of her peons just waltz into the time stream? Bonnie suspected that Auntie was some sort of high-ranking slave. It made sense that she would've been good at executive butt-kissing, after all.

But the holes were hardly the parts of the story that really bothered Bonnie. It was the parts Auntie left in that shook her up.

Like how Tara was supposed to die in a car crash roughly a week from now, on her way to the school dance with Josh Mankey.

Bonnie's fate was only slightly better: she lived much longer, only to discover she had a rare blood disorder. The good news was that if Auntie was still alive to tell her that, well, she didn't have to worry about actually dying for some time. Although it would be enough like being dead, without Tara around.

Tara took the news...not badly, because she chose not to believe it. Bonnie wasn't at all surprised. Tara really liked Josh, and had been looking forward to this dance for a long time. If she chose to believe, the night was ruined.

Of course, if Auntie was right, it would be ruined a whole lot worse.

If she was right.

That thought ran through Bonnie's mind a great deal as the dance drew closer and closer. If Auntie was right, Tara was going to be dead in a few days. If Auntie was wrong, Tara would quite possibly have the best night of her life with the guy of her dreams.

But if Auntie was right, Bonnie would have to live with the fact that she'd let Tara die without lifting a finger to stop her. And if there was one thing Bonnie was afraid to live with, it was that.

Auntie made the decision for her, though, by pulling her aside the day before the dance.

"Look, sugarplum. I know she's your best friend, and I know you want her to have fun. But if you're anything like me, then what I say next should convince you I'm right."

"She's got her heart set on it," Bonnie blurted out.

"I know, but listen to me." Auntie lowered her voice. "I've done this before, kiddo. Too many times before."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean every time I tell you this, it NEVER sinks in. Never. And Tara dies every single time, no matter how much I try to change it. I've lost count of how many attempts I've made to stop this night from coming true."

"Wait, wait. You're saying...that you've gone back in time before?"

Auntie laughed bitterly. "You think my blood made me puke up my guts? People aren't meant to go back in time, especially not as much as I have. Now I'm paying for it. But I'm telling you, every single trip was worth it, if I can get you to believe me just once. That's all it'll take to save Tara."

"What do I have to do?"

"You have to believe me. And then you have to make Tara believe you. It doesn't matter what you tell her, so long as YOU tell her. I've tried this so many times, sugarplum. You are the ONLY one that can stop her, the only one she'll listen to. If you tell her not to go, she won't. Just tell her to cancel, because if she's with Josh Mankey on that night, she's going to die."

"So you're saying Josh is going to die no matter what?"

"I have no clue," Auntie admitted. "All I know is every time they're together in a car on that night, they die. You have to stop her, Bonnie. Only you can."

* * *

Tara had liked the dress entirely because she absolutely loved that shade of blue. But it was Bonnie that had first noticed it matched her eyes. Bonnie always noticed the little things that made the big impact. At least, where fashion and decorating were concerned.

This night would be perfect. She would be dancing with Josh, her perfect guy, in a perfect dress, picked out by her perfect best friend. Tara knew the sight would meet Bonnie's approval, if she was going to be there to see it at all.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Come in!"

"Tara, we need to talk," Bonnie said as she slipped into the room.

"Sure. Can you make it quick? Josh is probably on his way right now."

"That's kinda what we need to talk about."

"You changed your mind about the dance?" Tara asked hopefully.

"Yes, but I'm still not going." Bonnie paused. "I don't want you to, either."

"What?" Tara's jaw dropped. "But...you said you didn't believe her. We agreed that she was crazy and we were just humoring her!"

"I know, I know. But what if she's right, Tara? We can't risk it."

"What are you talking about? Bonnie, this is MY night! With Josh!"

"What if it's your last night, with anyone? Tara, please, don't go!"

"You can stay home if you want, but I'm going to that dance." Tara started to step around her, but Bonnie blocked her path.

"Tara, wait!" Bonnie placed her hands on Tara's shoulders. "Just listen for a minute, okay?"

Tara sighed. "One minute."

"Look, I know Auntie sounds crazy. But it's not what she said that made be believe her. It's how she is."

"What do you mean?"

Bonnie bit her lip. "I mean her eyes. The way she stares into space sometimes. And how she looks at you when you're not looking. I think they're all signs. They have to be."

"Signs of what?"

"Signs of living through this night and not stopping you. I don't want to end up like that, Tara. I can't live knowing I could've saved your life and didn't. If you never listen to me again, listen to me now. I know this night means the world to you, but you mean the world to me. I think you should spend this night with the person who is most likely going to be in your life ten years from now. If you really think that's Josh, go. But if there's any doubt in your mind, then stay with me. I'm begging you, Tara. Please."

For an endless moment, Tara only stared at her. Then, without a word, she pulled away from Bonnie and left the room.

Bonnie watched her go in silence. Then her expression crumbled as she did, her legs giving out as she fell to her knees. Great, heaving sobs assaulted her body at the thought of this being her last memory of Tara.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting there when a pair of arms slipped around her waist, and a chin came to rest in her hair.

"Sorry, sugarplum," Auntie murmured in her ear. "I hate to see you in pain."

For a moment, Bonnie completely forgot that she didn't entirely trust this woman who claimed to be her. She turned and clung to the woman desperately, fresh tears streaming down her face.

"Shhh," Auntie whispered, stroking her hair. "I know it hurts."

"I couldn't stop her," Bonnie whimpered. "I couldn't save her."

"You're underestimating yourself, sugarplum. You did more good than you know."

"How can you say that? I'll never see Tara again! She'll never know how much I-"

"Bonnie?" a familiar voice from the doorway asked.

Bonnie's heart skipped a beat as she turned around. "Tara?" she asked in a tiny voice.

"I think you two need a moment to yourselves," Auntie said, helping Bonnie to her feet before she left the room.

Tara hesitantly approached her best friend, carefully touching her cheek. "You're crying? Because of me?"

"I thought...I thought you were gone," Bonnie whispered.

Tara shook her head. "I needed some time to think. Then I called Josh and told him I couldn't go."

"You lied?"

"No, I told him the truth." Tara took Bonnie's hands in her own and squeezed gently. "That my best friend needed me to stay with her tonight."

"Not just tonight." Bonnie hugged Tara tightly. "Forever."

Tara blinked slowly. "Um...okay. Well, when they patent immortality, we'll be the first in line to buy."

"What made you change your mind about the dance?"

"Honestly? I put myself in your shoes. I couldn't have let you go, either. Once I realized that, it was easy." She paused. "But, um...does this mean I can't go out with Josh again, ever?"

"I don't know," Bonnie admitted. "Maybe it was just tonight."

"I'm kinda scared to risk it," Tara added. "I'm sure he'll be fine, anyway."

* * *

Josh Mankey was having a surprisingly fun night, considering his date had cancelled on him. After he'd gotten over the shock of his first ditched date ever, he'd decided to do something that never failed to soothe him.

That was how he found himself at the Middleton Space Center, finishing up a mural that Dr. James Timothy Possible had commissioned for his Rocket Boosters program. Josh privately considered it one of his best works ever, though he didn't like to boast.

Absently, he wondered how many people would recognize the tiny, pigtailed redheaded girl.

Feeling very satisfied, he got into his car and began the trip home.

He never made it.

* * *

The girls had gone to bed long before, but not her. She was waiting on the call that she strongly suspected would come, despite her best efforts.

At exactly 2:16 AM, she placed her hand on the phone and waited.

At 2:17 AM, the phone started to ring, and instantly stopped as she yanked it up.

"Rockwaller residence."

"Bonnie? It's Kim. Look, I...I'm afraid I have some bad news. Tara's there, right?"

"Yes, Kim. What is it?"

"Well, it's...it...it's Josh. He's dead."

"How?"

"Car accident. A drunk driver plowed into him right after he left the Space Center tonight. My dad found him right after, but...it was too late."

"I understand." She paused. "Kim? Thanks. Really. I'll tell Tara."

"Sure. No problem."

As she hung up the phone, Bonita Rockwaller sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "Shego was right. Some timelines just have to suck." She focused her thoughts and headed upstairs to break the news to the girls.

* * *

Next Chapter: Bonnie grows suspicious when Aunt Bonita tries to get her to hang out with Kim. 


	2. Everybody Loves Kim

Chapter 2: Everybody Loves Kim

"I didn't think she'd take it this hard."

Bonnie looked up from the magazine she was thumbing through and glanced at her aunt. "What did you think she'd do, go out and celebrate? It's Josh Mankey."

Bonita shook her head. "I mean I thought she'd get over it faster."

"How would you know? You said it never happened this way before."

"It hasn't. But there were always implications."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Of what?"

"That the whole time she went out with Josh, she was only doing it in the hopes of making someone else jealous."

"Who, Kim?"

"No. Me. Well, you." Bonita shook her head. "You know what I mean."

"Then it didn't work." Bonnie went back to her magazine.

"Didn't it? You can't sit there and tell me you weren't relieved when she chose to listen to you."

"Of course I was. She chose life over death."

"She chose you over him. You said as much yourself."

"Whatever. The point is, she's not dead. Don't get all bent out of shape because things didn't happen like you said they would."

Bonita frowned at her. "Tara wouldn't be alive if it weren't for my warning you. Much as you hate to admit it, I have more power over whether you live or die than you do over what clothes you wear. I've been through the time stream, Bonnie. I know what will happen to you two, and you would be smart to listen to me."

"Wrong, Auntie. You know what happens to me. But your knowledge of Tara has already ended. Yours died in that car crash, didn't she?"

For a second, the expression on Bonita's face was nothing short of murderous. Then she looked away and forced herself to calm down.

"I am here to help you, Bonnie. To help us. Why do you insist on testing me?"

"Because I've seen better plots in a sci-fi movie and I don't like people telling me I'm not in control of my own life."

Bonita smiled. "You silly girl. Haven't you been listening? I AM control. I know your life, because it is mine. If you would only listen to me, I could give you everything. Wealth. Power. Fame. Even love, if you wanted it badly enough. All you have to do is trust me."

"Funny. That's the one thing I can't do," Bonnie replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't need help with my life. Trusting you would be admitting that I can't shape my life by myself. And I think I've been doing just fine, thanks."

"You want your independence? You still have it. Bonnie, I'm not going to control you. At worst, you'd be getting advice from yourself. How much more independent do you need to be?"

"That's another thing. You look and talk a lot like me, but I'm not so sure. Don't they have cloning in the future? They have to, because I've seen myself in feral triplicate before. You could be anyone else in my body."

"With your memories, too? Even the personal ones, sugarplum?"

Bonnie glared at her. "I can't trust you. It's too easy."

Bonita sighed. "Fine. But you can't expect me to just stand by if I know you're about to do something that will jeopardize your future."

"You mean your future."

"I mean yours, Bonnie. I've already lived a full life. Several, in fact. Truth be told, I hadn't even really planned a return trip. I'm prepared to give you everything, even if it costs me everything. How many people do you know willing to do that?"

"Just one."

Bonita nodded. "And she's alive because of me. Because of us. Remember that."

* * *

Bonnie wasn't so sure that Auntie was right about that last one. Tara may have been alive because of them, but you wouldn't know it by the way she'd been acting. Since Josh's death, Tara hadn't done much of anything. She'd spent the last few days almost entirely in Bonnie's room, staring at the wall.

Naturally, Bonnie wanted to drag her out of there. But she knew this was a sensitive time for Tara, and she didn't know how to be firm without seeming controlling. She didn't want Tara to feel forced into anything, but she didn't want Tara to waste away in there. At least she was still eating, if only a little.

Auntie had been surprisingly helpful. She'd talked to Tara's parents, had gone to their house to pick up some of Tara's things, and was even thoughtful enough to grab a box of chocolates and a bouquet of lilies for Tara. Bonnie didn't notice until it was too late that Auntie had signed her (Bonnie's) name to the card on the box, and of course the signature was a perfect copy of her own. She had wanted to talk to Auntie about that, but the warm hug Tara gave her afterwards made her forget to be angry.

Despite that, Bonnie was determined to get Tara out of the house. She was hoping that a little sun and fresh air would do something about that distant look Tara had in her eyes lately. She'd decided on the quieter end of the mall, where the bookstores and jewelry places were.

Of course, first she had to get Tara to agree to come.

"I don't really feel like going anywhere, Bonnie," was Tara's reply.

Bonnie sighed. "Tara," she said quietly, sitting next to her on the bed. "I know you're upset about Josh, and I understand you need some time to deal. But you can't stop living, period. Josh wouldn't want that, would he?"

"No," Tara whispered. "But-"

"I want you to be happy again, Tara. Maybe leaving you here would make you okay, but I know it won't make you happy."

Tara didn't say anything.

Bonnie frowned and placed her hand over Tara's. "What if we went-"

They were interrupted by a light knock on the door. Auntie poked her head in. "Sorry to interrupt, but Kim's father just called. He wanted to know if Tara would like to see Josh's mural at the Space Center. He can get us day passes."

To Bonnie's surprise, Tara threw a pouty look her way.

"Could we go there?"

"Um...okay." Bonnie wasn't sure why that had never occurred to her. Maybe because she'd been trying to avoid reminding Tara of her loss.

"I'll be waiting downstairs," Auntie said as she started to leave.

"For what?" Bonnie asked sharply.

Auntie smirked at her. "Dr. Possible invited me, too. Apparently, you never mentioned me to him, and he's anxious to meet me. And since you were going to the mall anyway, I wanted to pick up a few things. I'll drive. It'll give you two a chance to talk."

* * *

Tara wasn't much for conversation on the way to the Space Center, although she did seem a bit happier.

There was also the way that both of them sitting in the back allowed Tara to hold Bonnie's hand the entire trip, which Bonnie found surprising, but welcomed all the same. Maybe this was the start of Tara opening herself up to new possibilities in life again.

But the instant they were out of the car, Tara latched onto her hand again, and Bonnie wasn't sure what to make of that. She didn't have a problem with it, and obviously Tara didn't either, but Bonnie couldn't be sure if Tara was doing it because she wanted to, or because she needed to.

Dr. Possible actually took time out of his schedule to meet them at the gate. Bonnie was more than a little surprised when he drew her and Tara into a combined hug and offered his condolences. Tara thanked him, and Bonnie made do with a slight nod. As an afterthought (after she was poked firmly in the back), Bonnie introduced her aunt. To her annoyance, they seemed to hit it off at once, and she could imagine them all being invited to a Possible family dinner in the near future.

After the greetings were exchanged, Dr. Possible escorted them to his lab, were the mural was housed. Bonnie could never recall being impressed by art, but this was definitely one of those times.

The mural was massive, stretching almost the entire length of the wall. It depicted children experiencing various aspects of the Rocket Booster program: building model rockets, watching a launch, shaking hands with what appeared to be a monkey astronaut, and floating in an anti-gravity room. A shiny new plaque on the right end held a picture of Josh, and proclaimed that Rocket Boosters would now take part in a painting workshop. There would also be a rocket, dubbed 'Mankey's Ark,' designed for the sole purpose of taking the children's art to the space station every year.

Tara stared at the plaque for a long moment. Then her eyes scanned the mural, as if looking for something. She finally spotted Josh's initials in the bottom right corner. She knelt down, gently brushing her fingers over the tiny gold letters a few times.

Bonnie jumped slightly as Auntie tapped her shoulder. She hadn't realized how hard she'd been staring at the mural.

"Give her a moment with him," Auntie suggested, gently pulling her away. "Did you know him well?" she asked when they were out of earshot.

Bonnie shook her head. "We went on a double date once, but Brick was so stupid by comparison that we never did again. And we never spoke much, after he turned me down and got interested in Kim."

"That never panned out, though."

"No. He started seeing Tara a few months later."

"So he had good taste."

"A third of the time, at least."

Auntie glanced at her rather sharply. "He had good taste, period."

Bonnie gave her a funny look, but said nothing else.

Tara stood up about five minutes later, her eyes damp but not spilling over. She made sure to thank Dr. Possible before returning to Bonnie's side. "I'm done," she said quietly, taking Bonnie's hand again. "We can go."

Bonnie caught a hint of a smile on Auntie's face at the sight of their joined hands, but decided not to call her on it. Truth be told, it made her feel better, too, and she didn't want to make a scene in public for no good reason.

* * *

The mall was crowded as usual, but not uncomfortably so. Bonnie claimed she wanted to buy a surprise for Auntie, which neither of them believed for a moment. But Auntie left her and Tara on their own willingly enough, with a promise to meet them at the food court in an hour or so.

There was nowhere special Tara wanted to go, so she tagged along with Bonnie, never releasing her hand for more than a few minutes. Though it had been endearing at first, Bonnie was starting to feel stifled and sweaty, neither of which she was a big fan of. So the next time she pulled her hand away to wipe the sweat off, she instead slipped her arm around Tara's waist without really thinking about it.

Tara missed a step and nearly tripped, but straightened up quickly and moved a little closer to make it easier on Bonnie's arm.

Bonnie noticed that there was a bit more color in her cheeks after that, but not once did Tara complain, so she left her hand resting lightly on Tara's waist.

They drifted from store to store, gradually nearing the food court. Bonnie wasn't really paying attention to which stores they were nearing until she noticed that Artsy Fartsy was having a sale on paint sets. Hoping that Tara wouldn't see it and think of Josh, Bonnie tried to maneuver her past it quickly. She had almost succeeded when Tara grabbed her arm.

"Bonnie," she said softly. "I want to go in."

"Are you sure?" Bonnie asked at once.

Tara nodded. "I know you're being sensitive to my feelings, and I really do appreciate it. But everything that reminds me of Josh isn't going to make me burst into tears. I'll be okay for a few minutes, if you don't want to go in."

"I'll go," Bonnie said simply, feeling a little silly. She'd been trying to protect Tara, and maybe she'd been doing too good a job.

Tara seemed to read her mind. "Don't worry. I like it when you take care of me." She gave Bonnie a quick hug before dragging her into the art store.

A few framed paintings actually did catch Bonnie's eye, and she ended up buying an odd one entitled "Plant Life," which depicted a farm with neon green crops and a nuclear power plant in the background. Bonnie had no idea why she was willing to pay ten dollars for it, but she did before she had a chance to change her mind.

Tara bought a few sketchpads and color pencils, saying she might donate them to the Rocket Boosters if she never used them.

Auntie was waiting for them in the food court, and Bonnie immediately shoved "Plant Life" into her arms. To her amazement, Auntie grinned hugely (and genuinely) before hugging Bonnie and kissing the top of her head.

"I love it, sugarplum. Thanks a bunch."

Bonnie felt a certain warmth pass through her, but ignored it in favor of the sights and smells of the food court.

"You two pick out a table. I'll take care of the food." Auntie vanished into the crowd before Bonnie could argue.

"She better not get anything fattening," Bonnie muttered.

"At least she's not predicting our doom anymore," Tara pointed out.

"Yeah. For now, anyway." Bonnie spotted a good table and made a beeline for it. She'd just sat down when she heard a familiar voice. "Oh, great. It must be Impossible to Escape the Possibles Day," she sighed.

Kim ran up a moment later, followed by a slightly out of breath Ron. "Tara, I haven't seen you out in a while. How are you?"

"Much better, thanks to Bonnie," Tara replied. "We just came over from seeing Josh's mural."

"I hope my dad didn't bore you too much?" Kim asked.

"Oh no, he was great. He asked if I'd help out with the Rocket Boosters next year. I think it would be good for me."

"Yeah, they had some trouble finding teenagers to be chaperones," Ron said, getting a quick elbow from Kim. "OW!"

"Anyway, I've been trying to catch up with you." Kim reached into her pocket and produced a silver watch. "Dad found it in his lab."

"Josh's watch," Tara said quietly as Kim handed it over.

"He told me once that he never liked to think about time when he was painting. He always took it off before he started working. I guess he forgot it."

Tara closed her eyes and clasped the watch to her heart. She blinked back tears and threw her arms around Kim's neck. "Thank you so much, Kim."

"Um...sure," Kim replied, awkwardly patting Tara's back. "I thought he'd, you know, want you to have it."

"I'm going to have this engraved right now," Tara decided impulsively.

Ron spoke up. "I'll pay for it."

All three girls looked surprised.

"You will?" Tara asked.

"Yeah. It's the least I could do." Ron looked at his shoes. "I never really got to know Josh, and that's mostly my fault. So I'm paying my respects. Just, uh, literally."

Tara smiled at him. "Thanks, Ron. That really means a lot to me."

As they left, Bonnie was only slightly relieved to see that Tara made no move to hold Ron's hand or loop her arm through his. She didn't actually think Ron had the guts to make a move on Tara, and she was equally sure that Tara had gotten over her little schoolgirl crush on him. She'd moved up to Josh, after all.

"Bonnie, can I ask you a personal question?" Kim asked suddenly.

Bonnie instinctively scowled at her. "What?"

Kim locked eyes with her. "Are you and Tara...dating?" she murmured in a hushed tone.

Bonnie's eyes widened.

"I only ask because I saw you two earlier. That, and...well, you know Tara's really vulnerable right now, and-"

"If you're about to accuse me to taking advantage of her," Bonnie snapped, her eyes blazing.

"I'm not!" Kim said quickly, holding up her hands in surrender. "I just thought I should warn you. If you want to be with her, that's between you two. But if you try to do something about it now, it'll be between you, Tara, and Josh. Let her come to terms with him first. That way you can both be sure she's not projecting her feelings for Josh onto you. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

Bonnie had to admit that she didn't. Maybe she hadn't felt this way about Tara until right before Josh died, but she didn't want Tara associating their relationship with him for the rest of her life.

Kim smiled warmly. "See? I'm good for something other than target practice every now and then."

Bonnie was forced to agree...though she wouldn't dare say so aloud. And fortunately, she was saved by the arrival of Auntie with three...actually, five sandwiches on a tray. Which was a little too convenient for Bonnie's suspicions.

"You must be Kim Possible," Auntie said with a broad smile. "I'm Bonnie's Aunt Bonita. It's a pleasure to finally meet another of Bonnie's good friends. I was starting to think Tara was hiding you somewhere."

"Oh, I just keep really busy," Kim laughed uneasily. "So, Bonnie told you we were good friends?" she asked, shooting a confused look at Bonnie.

"She never stops talking about you," Auntie raved. "'Kim did this, Kim did that, Kim saved what's-his-name.' I feel like I know you already!"

Bonnie's face was completely red now, either from embarrassment, rage, or both.

"You simply must come over to the house some time," Auntie continued. "We'd love to have you. Bonnie doesn't bring many of her friends home."

"Neither do I," Kim admitted truthfully. "Fear of imposing, I guess."

"Oh, not at all! Why, just today your father was telling me-"

Bonnie practically jammed her elbow into Auntie's side. "HEY, let's go look at some more paintings, Auntie," she said quickly.

"Bye, Kim!" Auntie practically shouted as Bonnie dragged her away. "Feel free to drop by anytime!"

"What the hell was that?" Bonnie demanded when they were out of earshot. "If you're really me, you'd know that Kim Possible is the bane of my existence!"

"The other way around, really," Auntie clarified. "Because guess what, Bon-Bon? If it wasn't for your attitude, you two would probably be as close as you are with Tara."

Bonnie glared at her. "I'm not interested in changing my attitude or being friends with Kim. And what was with all those lies? I never told you anything about her!"

"You didn't have to. Believe it or not, you need Kim Possible in your life. And the friendlier you are with her, the better off you'll be."

"How would you know?"

"Because she gave me a chance to do the same, and I passed it up, just like you are. If you're really interested in not ending up like me, sugarplum, you better start learning from my mistakes. This is another conversation I've had way too much with myself."

"Give me one good reason why I should be nice to her," Bonnie challenged.

"I'll give you two. One, Tara is. Two, a few years from now, you'll literally have to choose between living free, or becoming what I am today. The ONLY path that leads to living free runs right through Kim Possible. So I'd be a little nicer the next time you talk to her. It'll freak her out, but if you keep it up, she'll come to realize it's not an act. So will you, for that matter. She's genuinely a good person, Bonnie. You can be, too, if you'd listen to her."

"Oh, sure. It's always all about Kim, isn't it?"

"Actually, it's more about her family. But Kim's approval goes a long way, and not just with them."

* * *

Tara wasn't sure what had happened in the time it took for her to have Josh's watch engraved, but something clearly had. Auntie and Bonnie weren't speaking, and Bonnie seemed very upset about something. She hadn't even smirked or rolled her eyes when Ron had freaked out at seeing two of her.

Tara suspected that Auntie had made another of her predictions, this one affecting Bonnie, and not in a good way. She didn't want to ask, though, if it was Bonnie's business. On the other hand, if it was serious, she expected Bonnie to tell her.

"Is there something I should know?" Tara asked no one in particular.

Auntie glanced back at her. "Yup. You know that big game that's coming up?"

"Yeah?"

"Bonnie won't be there, on account of her leg acting up on her."

"There's nothing wrong with my leg!" Bonnie shouted.

"Damn right, and there won't be, so long as you don't go to that game."

"Oh, for-!"

"Bonnie, you don't believe her?" Tara asked in alarm. "But she was right the last time! She saved my life!"

"She didn't say I was going to die, Tara. She just said I'd get hurt."

"And I have the scars to prove it," Auntie added. "It's also the night you break up with Brick for good. Incidentally, for accidentally plowing into your leg and snapping it like a twig."

"You seem to walk pretty good," Bonnie muttered.

"I certainly do. But you've never seen me in shorts, and let's just say there's a reason for that."

Tara grimaced. "You have been complaining a lot about Brick lately, Bonnie. Maybe if you break up with him before the game-"

Auntie shook her head. "Tried it. That only makes him play worse. Costs you an arm instead."

"So there's no way Bonnie can go to the game without getting hurt?" Tara asked.

"There's one way, but she'd never do it."

"What?"

Bonnie snorted. "She claims that if Kim is at the top of the pyramid instead of me that night, Brick will hit her instead, and she'll come out of it with just a sprained ankle."

"All true," Auntie insisted. "It's in the seating order. You trade spots with Kim, that puts you further down the bleachers. You stay where you are, Brick takes out your leg. Oh, but you should break up with him at some point before you graduate. Save yourself a lot of headaches."

"Can you limit yourself to like one prediction a day?" Bonnie asked, rubbing her forehead. "This is a lot to take in."

Auntie flicked her eyes over at Tara. "You've faced the worst of it already and come out okay. You'll be fine."

"Says Kim Possible's number one fan," Bonnie muttered under her breath.

"Someday soon, you'll thank me for dropping in and ruining your life, sugarplum. As bad as it may seem to you, mine has been infinitely worse. You have no idea how lucky you are, or will be."

* * *

Bonnie had made up her mind. She was going to the game.

That, however, was before Tara entered the room in her pajamas.

"Um, aren't you going to the game?" Bonnie asked in confusion.

"No, and you aren't, either," Tara replied calmly. "I just got off the phone with Kim and told her to change the formation, since she'll be short two squad members."

"TARA! I can't believe you gave up my spot!"

Tara didn't seem too concerned. "When I missed the dance, you told me you'd make it up to me, Bonnie. Well, I'm calling in that favor tonight. So you're going to stay home with me, instead of going out and getting your leg broken."

"So what's one leg? Do you know how often I actually get to be at the top?"

"Yes, I've been there every time. But there will be other times. And maybe there would be more, if you took Auntie's advice and started being nicer to Kim. Don't think she didn't tell me what you two talked about, and she's right. There's no real reason why you can't be friends with Kim. I am."

"You are not," Bonnie muttered half-heartedly.

"I am, too!" Tara insisted. "I just don't talk to her much when you're around, because I know you two don't get along. I'm your best friend, not hers."

"Then why does it seem like you and everyone else are Kim Possible fans?"

Tara just smiled and shook her head. "Take the hint, Bonnie. She's a great person, no matter how much she gets on your nerves. And I'm sure she wouldn't if you just learned to let some things go, and accept the rest."

"Like what?" Bonnie asked with a frown.

"Like," Tara said, walking over to her and gently taking her hands, "you need to let go of all that anger you're feeling right now, and accept that you're going to stay here, with me, and still have a great time. Okay?"

"And what is it you think we're going to have such a great time doing?"

Tara grinned at her. "You'll just have to get changed and see, won't you?"

Ten minutes later, Bonnie was also in her pajamas, waiting on Tara to deliver the fun.

"So where's this great time, again?" Bonnie asked, sitting on the bed.

Tara stuck out her tongue. "You're snippy when you're impatient, did you know that?"

"I'm not a patient person, Tara."

"Yeah, I know," Tara replied, giggling. "You're kinda always snippy."

"Hey!"

"Well, not always. Two thirds of the time. The other third, you're alone with me, and actually decent."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks."

"Aw, you know I meant it in a good way!"

"You can't mean snippy in a good way, it's not possible!"

"You just don't see you like I do," Tara answered defensively.

"You're right, because I'm not snippy!" Bonnie snapped.

Tara pressed her fists to her mouth to keep from giggling. "So what would you call how you are right now?"

Bonnie crossed her arms over her chest. "Justifiably pissed."

"Oh, really. Well, how do you feel about being justifiably pleased?"

"What are you getting at?"

Tara grabbed Bonnie's hands and pulled her to her feet. "Dance with me!"

Bonnie stared at her. "And now I'm justifiably confused."

"C'mon, let's dance! You OWE me a dance, Bonnie!"

"But...that's not..." Bonnie trailed off, sensing she was serious. "I'm not in the mood."

"So get in the mood." Tara seized Bonnie's wrists. "I won't stop bugging you until you dance with me, Bonnie. And you know how pesky I can be. Especially when it's justified."

"You can't use my own words against me like that!"

"Just did. If you don't hurry up and dance, I won't let you lead."

"Wait, you want me to slow dance?"

"Yes," Tara replied. "What's wrong with that?"

"We're short about two guys, then."

"Let's pretend they're gorging themselves on spiked punch. Dance."

"Tara-"

"DANCE."

Bonnie sighed loudly, but resigned herself to her fate. She placed one hand on Tara's hip, and was surprised when Tara moved the other one there, as well. "That's not how-"

"I don't really care you do it with Brick, Bonnie," Tara said testily. "In fact, I don't much care how you do anything with Brick."

Bonnie was surprised by the hint of venom in Tara's words. "Now who's the snippy one?"

"You're ruining the moment by thinking about Brick. I'm justifiably snippy."

"So why don't you tell me who I should be thinking of?"

Tara actually looked hurt. "You should be thinking of me. You should be having fun." She looked away, her eyes damp. "I should be having fun..."

Bonnie mentally kicked herself. "You're right. I'm sorry. No more...him. Let's dance."

Tara didn't look impressed. "You don't want to."

"I do. Really."

"Just forget it."

"Why? You won't." Bonnie drew Tara into her arms. "I'm really sorry, okay? I didn't realize how much this meant to you. You missed that dance for me, and I did promise to make it up to you."

"Promise you won't think of anyone else?" Tara asked quietly.

"If that's what you want, I promise."

"Well...okay."

"Do you want me to put on some music?"

Tara shook her head. "We don't need it. Between cheerleading and ballet, you can make up your own music in your head."

"You've thought this out," Bonnie realized.

Tara smiled faintly. "Been planning it since that night. Only we were already dancing by this point." She slid her arms around Bonnie's neck, lacing her fingers. "Still want to lead?"

"You know it."

The two girls began to sway slightly, with Bonnie setting the pace and Tara following along contentedly. No more words passed between them, simply because they weren't need and would've only been distractions. Everything ceased to exist, save for themselves and the silent song they danced to.

But then doubt loomed in Bonnie's mind, and she gave voice to the question invading her peace. "Tara...did you...have a good time today?"

Tara laid her head on Bonnie's shoulder, murmuring in the affirmative. "Why?" she asked softly.

"Just wanted to be sure." Bonnie bit her lip. "So you're glad I made you get out of the house?"

"Yes, Bonnie. I needed to, even if I didn't want to admit it." She smiled. "You always think you know what's best for me, don't you?"

"No. But I know you deserve the best, and I plan on giving it to you."

"You already are," Tara sighed happily.

* * *

Bonita Rockwaller carefully fingered the strand of brown hair, a thoughtful frown on her face. It had been easier to acquire than she'd feared, and that worried her a great deal.

She could no longer remember a time when she'd been so unaware. Just the thought seemed ridiculous to her now. But that was why she was going to all this trouble: so Bonnie would never have to be that alert, because she would never come into any real danger, if things worked out.

There were so many possible flaws, when one played with time.

Bonita was reminded of that, as she turned around to find a four-foot, muscular naked mole rat glaring at her.

"You've been a very bad girl, Ms. Rockwaller," he said in a no-nonsense tone.

"Go away. This has nothing to do with you."

"I cannot allow you to corrupt the time stream. You know that."

"Well, you're too damn late, Mickey. I've done too much good here to stop now."

"You think you're making things better. That's how the Supreme One started out, you know: trying to help herself."

"I won't end up like her. All I want is to help Bonnie. Nothing else matters."

"I wish I could believe that. But I'm afraid you'll have to come back with me now. By force, if necessary."

"Oh, you better believe it's necessary," Bonita hissed.

"In the name of Rufus Prime, I place you under arrest!" The mole rat leaped at her.

Bonita smirked, even as a lock of her hair snapped up and struck the rat's face, sending him flying into the wall.

"Sorry, Rufus 4K," Bonita sighed, "but I can't let you stop me."

"How..." he gasped, his body stiffening.

"You don't time travel without learning some things." Bonita stroked her hair. "It's a mild tranquilizer. Shouldn't last more than a day. Or so DNAmy told me when she spliced in the jellyfish DNA. If she lied, I guess you'll find out before I do."

"Must...stop..." Rufus 4000 wheezed.

"Time for you to go home." She leaned over and made a few adjustments to the chrono displacement unit on his wrist.

Rufus 4000 vanished into a portal of blue light.

Bonita shook her head. "Four hyper-evolutions and they're still dumb as dirt." She turned back to her work, holding the strand of hair before her face. "Magnify."

A thin film slid over her left eye, and Bonita smiled. "The same. Or similar enough, anyway. Hope you're not too fussy about eating right, sugarplum, because it's almost time to take your medicine..."

* * *

Next Chapter: Auntie starts to show her true colors...or so Bonnie thinks.

Reviews!

Ranger117

This is definitely one of the better fanfics here. It's nice to have a change in pace every once in a while and this definitely provides it. Keep it up!

_Glad you like it. I'm proud of this one._

* * *

gargoylesama

Very good and mind-twistingly weird... 12 Monkeys weird... Strange things can happen when you tamper with the time stream... Looking forward to more of this story.

_Hopefully not THAT twisting, but thanks. _

* * *

Forlong

An interesting story. One question: are you going to be doing a girl/girl pairing?

_You did read the note before the story, didn't you? I don't put those in to hear myself talk. Well, not entirely. At current, I've made no final decisions, but more than likely, yes._

* * *

Sand Lord

Good start. Bonnie and Tara, nice plot. Maybe there's more than just friendship between them? Well, I'm looking forward for more!

_Probably._


	3. The Real Auntie B

Chapter 3: The Real Auntie B

Bonnie received a rude awakening, in that someone had dared to disturb her before seven on a Saturday. Tara knew better, which left only one suspect. In all fairness, though, SHE had to know better, as well.

"Wake up, sugarplum. We've got a lot to do today."

Bonnie just barely stifled a growl in her pillow. "Come back when it's noon," she grumbled. "Better yet, don't come back at all."

This, apparently, was not what Auntie wanted to hear, because she opened the curtains, allowing the early morning sunlight to stream in.

Bonnie winced as the warmth washed over her, and she heard a rustling noise that was presumably Tara burrowing deeper under the sheets. Sighing, she opened her eyes and glared at Auntie, who had the nerve to be smiling at her. "WHAT?"

If the tone bothered Auntie, she didn't show it. "We're going to spend the day together, so get up. Or I can just drag you out of bed."

"Fine. Then grab a chair, because I'm not leaving this room a minute before seven."

Auntie smirked. "Let me rephrase that. We're spending the day together, outside. And we start before seven."

Bonnie scowled up at her. "No."

"Yes." Auntie suddenly scooped Bonnie up in her arms and carried her from the room. "I don't know why you're being so grumpy. We're going to have lots of fun!"

"Not before seven we won't!" Bonnie insisted, struggling as much as possible to get down.

"What are you complaining about? It'll probably take you that long just to put your face on. Which is why I got you up early." She set Bonnie down in front of the bathroom and gave her a swat on the rump to get her moving. "Hurry up!"

Bonnie mumbled a reply as she slammed the bathroom door behind her. She didn't think it took her much time to look presentable at all. The fact was, part of the presentation was in making people wait. And while Bonnie had no plans to go all out as far as make-up, Auntie had definitely earned herself a 45-minute wait with that wake-up call.

However, Auntie thwarted that little plan by bursting into bathroom only fifteen minutes later, rolling her eyes as Bonnie shrieked and covered her face. "Oh, get over yourself. It's nothing I haven't seen a million times. And we both know you've got nothing to be embarrassed about, make-up or no."

"Get out!" Bonnie insisted, her face bright red.

"You're just being silly." Auntie grabbed Bonnie's arm and dragged her down the hall, back to the bedroom. "Tara, tell her she looks fine."

Tara raised her head from her pillow, blinking sleepily as she stared at them. "You both look great. Can I go back to sleep now, please?"

"Sure you can, hon. Sleep all you want."

Tara's head instantly dropped back to the pillow.

"See? You look fine."

Bonnie shook her head. "Tara has to say that, she's biased."

Auntie sighed. "Look, you know I'm your harshest critic. If I say you look fine, then you do. Now get changed, we're wasting time here."

"What's the big rush?"

For a moment, Auntie merely looked at her. Then she smiled and patted Bonnie's hair gently. "I just want to spend time with you, Bonnie. Just the two of us, together, for today. Think you can pencil me in?"

Bonnie managed to look only slightly uncomfortable. "What do you want to do?" she asked after a moment.

"Anything you want, so long as we do it together. I'll pay for everything."

Bonnie couldn't help the wicked grin that came across her face. "You're going to regret those words, Auntie."

"I figure you can't want anything I've never wanted. Only difference is, I've got a bit more financial backing. So I can afford to have you go nuts."

"Shego pays well, huh?"

Auntie snorted. "I wish. As it is, I still owe her. All the money I have now is from timely investing."

Bonnie smirked. "You mean cheating through time travel."

Auntie chuckled. "There's no law that says you can't hop into a time machine and pick up a couple years' worth of interest tomorrow. If I was really worried about you, I'd teach you everything I know about time traveling."

"But you're not," Bonnie said quietly.

"No, I'm not. I think you've learned a lot from my being here. And when I'm gone, you'll turn out to be an even better person. Not because of me, but because of who you are today."

"Which is really just an indirect way of taking credit for it, right?"

Auntie grinned at her. "Well, I didn't want to brag too much. Let's just get to that fun I promised you, okay?"

Bonnie smiled hesitantly. "Okay."

* * *

Kim Possible was on her way to her latest mission when she got an odd feeling. This was nothing new for her, though. Years of honing her body and mind into what Ron sometimes jokingly called a "one woman wrecking crew" generally made her very aware of virtually everything that took place around her. She was not in the habit of ignoring her hunches, as they had saved her life too many times in the past.

So when her mind began to wander, and somehow landed on Bonnie and her aunt, she frowned thoughtfully.

"Ron," Kim absently, getting her partner's attention. "When we met Bonnie's aunt, what was the first thing that entered your mind?"

"I thought it was weird that the aunt looked more like Bonnie than her own mother did. Then I thought maybe Bonnie was adopted. Then I thought she had an older sister nobody ever talked about."

"Anything else?"

Ron paused. "Yeah. I couldn't believe how nice she was. Like she was Bonnie's evil twin. Well...her good twin, I mean."

Kim smirked. "Anything else?"

"She seemed to like you a whole lot." Ron looked at her uncertainly. "And that makes you suspicious of her?"

"The being nice, no. The looking exactly like Bonnie, a little. It was more the way she claimed Bonnie told her I was a good friend."

Ron nodded. "I thought that sounded rather un-Bonnie-like."

"Because it is. Bonnie might consider me a lot of things, but I don't think that one is anywhere on the list. So why did her aunt think differently?"

"Maybe her aunt heard of you, and Bonnie just said it to make herself look good?"

"I can only think of so many situations where Bonnie would want to be associated with me, and they all involve getting in good with my family, not hers."

"Why all the worry? You think Bonnie's losing it or something?"

"No. I just have a feeling that we should turn around and go back to Middleton."

Ron frowned. "KP, are you sure about this? We don't know anything for sure, and you're ready to bail on a mission, just like that?"

Kim sighed. "I don't KNOW, Ron. I just...it's a feeling that I can't ignore. I feel...well...like Bonnie needs my help. I can't explain it."

"Now I know you're dreaming. Even if Bonnie needed your help, she'd never admit or welcome it. Why don't we focus on people that have actually requested our services?"

"Yeah. Maybe you're right," Kim murmured as she stared out of the window. But deep down, that nagging feeling remained, and Kim knew instinctively that it would only grow stronger if she continued to ignore it for however long the mission took. All she could really do at that point was hope that Bonnie was as self-reliant as she made herself out to be.

* * *

By the time they left the third store with an armload of clothes, Bonnie suddenly realized that she was no longer pretending to have fun. There was no denying that Auntie seemed to know the perfect stores and outfits at a glance, and each met Bonnie's rather elusive approval without fail. If the woman wasn't who she claimed to be, then she had to be psychic.

It was hard for Bonnie to think of Auntie as anything but that, though. Aside from the fact that the thought of another Bonnie running around gave her the creeps, Bonnie almost needed to see this woman as an aunt. It was a safe, unassuming label, one that would allow her to look into the somewhat distorted, older mirror that was Auntie's face and not freak out every time. Which wasn't to say that Auntie wasn't pretty, just that she looked so MUCH like Bonnie it was creepy.

Yet it was rapidly becoming less creepy as the day went on. Bonnie was now capable of looking at Auntie, and seeing only Auntie, with almost no trace of herself in the familiar features. It was purely a psychological defense mechanism, and Bonnie knew it, but anything that kept her brain from exploding (a common risk in time travel, or so Auntie claimed) was a welcome technique.

Tara had called, to make sure they hadn't killed each other. Blushing all the while, Bonnie had been forced to admit (aloud) that yes, she was having a great time, and no, she was apparently not going to meet her doom this day. Auntie had the decency to merely smile and otherwise keep her mouth shut, and Bonnie was thankful for that. But then, Auntie hadn't said much of anything all day. She merely stood back and let Bonnie browse, offering her opinion when it was asked for, but otherwise keeping a watchful eye on her 'niece'.

More than once Bonnie had looked up to find Auntie staring directly at her, and while this normally would've bothered her to no end, today it was strangely endearing. She told herself that Auntie was just being watchful and protective, wary of anything that might upset or harm her.

She told herself that Auntie loved her. And it seemed that Bonnie, in turn, loved Auntie in return.

Yet she did not dare give voice to those feelings, for as much as she wanted to trust Auntie, there was still a tiny seed of doubt in her mind. It was what kept her an inch from being completely comfortable around Auntie, and perhaps what would keep her from falling into a very clever trap.

That was what she told herself, anyway.

There was also something else bothering Bonnie: she couldn't shake the feeling that Auntie wasn't being completely honest about the meaning behind this day out. She firmly believed that Auntie wanted to spend

time with her, but that there was another reason beneath that.

So when they stopped for ice cream, Bonnie made up her mind that she wasn't going anywhere else until she knew the truth.

Of course, she waited until after they'd eaten.

"Why did you really want to spend the day with me?"

Auntie looked at her. "I already told you."

"Then what aren't you telling me?" Bonnie countered.

Auntie sighed. "The other reason is...well...this is my last day."

"To do what?"

"To be here."

Bonnie blinked slowly. "You mean...you're leaving?"

Auntie nodded. "I didn't tell you that before, because I didn't want to guilt trip you into spending time with me. I wanted you to come because you wanted to, and no other reason."

"So...you're going to leave? Just like that?" Bonnie asked with an edge to her voice.

"I don't have a choice. My time's run out. I have to go tonight."

"And I'll never see you again."

Auntie blinked, as if she hadn't thought of that. She had, of course. "Sure you will. If you ever need to see me, look in the mirror, hard, and I'll be there. If you ever need to talk to me, just listen to that little voice in your head that keeps you from doing really stupid stuff. And if you ever need to remind yourself that I cared about you, just look at Tara, and remember why she's still with you."

"It won't be the same."

"No, it won't. But you'll live." Auntie reached out to touch Bonnie's shoulder, only to have her hand smacked away.

"Don't! Don't act like you care about me now! If you did, you...you..." Bonnie's expression crumbled. "You wouldn't be leaving me!"

"Oh, sugarplum," Auntie sighed. "Is that what you really think this is about? I went through time to be with you. Hundreds of times, no less. How can you possibly think I don't care about you?"

"You say that, but you don't have any proof!"

"Open the glove compartment."

Without thinking, Bonnie did so, yanking the panel open...and gasping as a small flood of silver lockets poured into her lap.

Auntie looked on with something like pride in her eyes. "One for every time Tara confessed her love for you. Any of you. Think about it. Would you really give up a gift from Brick unless you were completely over him?"

Bonnie knew she wouldn't, and it had nothing to do with how she felt about Brick. She had never loved him, or felt anything other than annoyance or mild amusement toward him. She had only dated him for the sake of increasing her own reputation. Brick was no genius, but he was probably more fond of having Bonnie on his arm than he was of Bonnie herself. If they broke up, he would just move on to another cheerleader, assuming any of them were brave enough to risk Bonnie's wrath.

"I was hoping we could add yours to that pile before I left," Auntie admitted. "Maybe I should leave them behind, so you still can when I'm gone. It's something to work for, and now you know it's possible. Likely, even. All you have to do is tell Tara how much she really means to you. The rest will fall into place by itself. Now, do I still sound like someone who doesn't care what happens to you?"

Bonnie slowly picked up one of the lockets, comparing it to her own. They were exactly the same. She let both fall from her trembling hands, tears streaming down her face. If she had really won Tara's heart so many times, how could she possibly have missed what should have been obvious this time? How could she have even once considered letting Tara go to that dance, going to that game herself, or not taking Auntie's advice?

How much had her stubborn pride nearly cost her?

She felt a hand gently but firmly seizing her chin and turning it, and then Bonnie was staring into Auntie's sympathetic, sad smile.

"I tried to tell you, sugarplum. But we're just a matched set of thick skulls, you and I. And I've only learned the lessons from suffering so much. I'm trying to save you from making my mistakes. Nothing I do here would change my life, but I can still improve yours. That's all I have done since I've been here, even if it doesn't seem like it."

Bonnie sniffled. "Why? What's in it for you?"

"Seeing you happy and healthy. There's no greater reward for me."

"What about the money you saved?"

"You mean the money I just blew on your shopping spree? Or the money I donated to the Space Center? Between those, there's barely any left. Why can't you just accept that maybe I did all of this for you?"

"Because the only person I would ever do that for-"

"Is Tara," Auntie cut in. "I know that. But like I told you, I lost mine. Is it so hard to believe that I'd never want any version of me to suffer the same fate?"

"Yes!" Bonnie blurted out. "Because it sounds exactly like something Kim Possible would do! Which is why you can't be me, and you can't possibly care about me!"

Without warning, Bonnie suddenly found herself yanked bodily into Auntie's lap. Before she could demand an excuse for the rough treatment, however, she noticed the furious look in Auntie's eyes.

"A word of advice, Bonnie. Make that the last time you badmouth Kim. You have no idea how much we both owe her. And before this is over, you'll be regretting every putdown you ever tossed her way. So get used to the taste of humble pie, because you'll be forcing down quite a bit of it very soon. Being compared to Kim is an honor, not an insult. You should be so lucky to be mistaken for her."

Bonnie pulled away from her roughly. "I want to go home," she muttered, wiping away what remained of her tears.

Auntie shook her head. "I know that hurts your feelings, and I'm sorry, but-"

Bonnie glared at her. "Take. Me. Home. Now!"

"No. You need to-"

Her face growing red, Bonnie practically shoved open the car door and began to get out. She hadn't gotten far when Auntie grabbed her arm, pulled her back into the car, and across the seat. Before Bonnie knew what was happening, she was locked in a surprisingly strong embrace from behind.

"I said I was sorry," Auntie repeated. "You can get mad if you want. Just so long as you realize that I'm doing this for you, not me."

"Then let me go!" Bonnie shrieked, struggling helplessly.

"Can't do that, sugarplum." Auntie laid her head lightly against Bonnie's. "I love you too much to let you wander off without my guidance."

Bonnie stiffened at once.

"Yeah, you heard me right." Auntie gave Bonnie a gentle squeeze. "I love you, Bonnie. I would never do anything to harm you. Whether you believe it or not, it's true."

"You're just saying that so I won't be mad at you," Bonnie accused.

"No, you're allowed to be mad. What you're not allowed to do is endanger yourself by ignoring what I tell you."

"You can't make me do anything!" Bonnie snapped.

"That's the thing. I can." Auntie sighed wistfully. "I haven't so far, because I know how you like making your own choices. But if you're going to outright defy me like this, then I have to keep you in line somehow."

"What...what are you going to do?" Bonnie whispered, suddenly afraid.

"I have to take away your free will. Sorry, sugarplum, but it's for the best."

Before Bonnie could renew her efforts to escape, she felt three feather-light taps on her cheek. The third tap seemed to set off a signal that ran throughout her body, paralyzing everything but her mouth.

"No! What did you do to me!" Bonnie cried.

"I really am sorry, Bonnie. But if you won't listen to reason, then you'll listen to force." Auntie reached past her and shut the door.

"Where are you taking me!" Bonnie demanded.

"You're going to see me off, that's all," Auntie replied with a sad smile. "I do hope you'll change your mind about me, someday. Maybe things will be clearer in the morning."

"You won't get away with this!" Bonnie swore. "Tara will call the police when I don't come home!"

"That's very likely." Auntie didn't seem too concerned as she started the car. "But it won't matter. They'll never make it in time to stop me."

* * *

Next Chapter: Kim rushes back to save Bonnie, but her rescue comes a little too late.

Reviews!

Sand Lord

I repeat myself, maybe there is more between Bonnie and Tara. But the end made me wonder: if the future relative of Rufus comes back to stop future Bonnie doing her thing, doesn't that mean there are some things seriously wrong in their timeline? Nicely done chapter, please update soon!

_Not necessarily. From where I sat, The Rufuses were concerned that ANY unnatural activity would disrupt the time stream, not just evil kinds. I think they were even hesitant to approach Kim, for fear that the trip alone might make things even worse. Of course, knowing that Bonita was in Shego's employ would make them even more convinced that she was up to no good and had to be stopped. And since Bonita has been doing this a while, it stands to reason that they're very concerned with any damage she's done or may do._


	4. Blessed Bloodline

Note: Anyone who catches the Sealab 2021 reference gets a coupon good for a free Shrabster plate.

Chapter 4: Blessed Bloodline

Bonnie hadn't been able to move most of her body for almost an hour now. And since there were no words that could adequately describe her rage at Auntie's betrayal, she was forced to make do with mustering every ounce of hatred into the coldest gaze she could manage under the circumstances.

For what it was worth, Auntie seemed to genuinely feel guilty under the pressure of that stare. But she didn't undo whatever she'd done to paralyze Bonnie, nor did she stop driving or turn the car around.

Bonnie's rage was gradually swallowed up by fear, though, as they left the familiar sights and sounds of Middleton behind. By the time they passed a Lowerton city limits sign, she was dreading the worst.

Auntie finally turned off the main road, and stopped the car on the edge of a vast field. "Be right back," she said, getting out of the car. She took maybe three steps before she dropped to the ground.

There was a soft beep, followed by the loud screech of metal on metal.

Auntie popped back up and returned to the car. "I know you don't trust me right now," she said softly as she picked up Bonnie's limp body, "and that's fine. But this is what's best for you, Bonnie. You'll understand why I had to do this...in time. I promise."

Any reply Bonnie might have made came to an abrupt halt as she spotted a large hole in the ground, with a staircase spiraling into the inky darkness. As Auntie started towards the hole, new fear welled up in Bonnie's heart. It occurred to her that this might be the last time she ever saw sunlight, and the thought pushed her over the edge of her rationality.

"It...it was you," she whispered.

Auntie stopped. "You say something, Bonnie?"

"You were the one. You made all those bad things happen."

Auntie stared at her, blinking slowly. "No, I'm the one that kept them from happening to you..."

"But you KNEW! You knew about the car accident! You could have made sure Josh didn't die!"

"I told you, I only knew so much about it. Some things are just meant to happen. Maybe it was his time. Probably was, since he didn't go to the dance and still died the same way."

"You set him up! You set US up!" Bonnie screeched. "I can't believe I ever trusted you at all! You were behind all those 'accidents' from day one!"

"I suppose you think I called Brick and told him to go for your leg?"

Bonnie glared at her. "Hope called me. She told me that Brick nearly hit her, but Kim tripped him at the last second, and he broke his jaw."

Auntie sighed patiently. "She changed the formation. He still nearly hit someone. And knowing you, if you had been there, you'd either keep Kim from saving you, or guilt trip her if you'd gotten hurt. I was still right to keep you home."

"You manipulated us! You tricked me into keeping Tara home, and I bet you tricked Tara into keeping me home, too!"

"For what?" Auntie laughed. "To ruin your social lives? I could see how Tara being ALIVE would mess that up!"

"For all I know, that never would've happened if you weren't here!"

"There's a lot you don't know, Bonnie," Auntie replied. "But we don't have time to discuss it anymore. At least, I don't." She took another step towards the hole.

"WAIT!" Bonnie cried desperately. "Look, I'll...I'll do whatever you want, okay? Just...just don't hurt me!"

The look of surprise on Auntie's face seemed so genuine that, for a split second, Bonnie almost believed that she was truly shocked. Then she reminded herself that this woman was currently in complete control over whether she lived or died.

"Sugarplum," Auntie said softly, "I'm not going to hurt you. I told you that already."

"You also said you cared about me. This isn't how you treat-"

"It is when they don't know what's good for them. Remember when I said I felt like a parent? I still do. Think of this as tough love, without the pain. You'll feel better afterwards, I promise."

"Then...you're not...going to...?" Bonnie trailed off, unable to give voice to her fears.

Auntie shook her head, then leaned closer to tenderly kiss Bonnie's forehead. "I know you're scared," she whispered, "but you don't need to be afraid of me. I won't hurt you, I swear. The only thing that's really scary down there is the dark. And if you do what I ask, then I'll even hold your hand on the way down."

Bonnie didn't want to believe her, but she sounded so much like the Auntie that had held her when she'd thought Tara was gone forever. She could only watch as a lock of Auntie's hair came to life and brushed her cheek once. Instantly, feeling began to return to her body, and Auntie sat them both down, gently kneading Bonnie's legs as they began to throb painfully.

"Side effect of the sting," Auntie explained. "It'll pass, and you'll want your legs in good shape. It's a pretty long walk down."

"The...sting?" Bonnie asked, rubbing her arms as they began to throb as well.

That same lock of Auntie's hair waved at her. "I'm part jellyfish. It's complicated. Purely a defense mechanism." She noticed the skeptical look on Bonnie's face. "It is. If I had let you go, you would've been in real danger. And it would've made my whole trip pointless. I'm here to protect you."

"But...you kidnapped me."

"You were being irrational," she pointed out. "More so than usual. This needs to be done, and I am on a timetable."

Bonnie bit her lip. "You...you really won't hurt me?"

Auntie pulled Bonnie into her lap and hugged her. "I really won't," she murmured into Bonnie's hair. "I can carry you, if your legs aren't ready yet."

Bonnie suspected they were, but some small part of her wanted to hang on to the old, oddly affectionate Auntie for as long as she could. "Could you?"

"Sure," Auntie replied with a grin as she scooped Bonnie up. "Got the strength of ten gorillas, too."

"What?" Bonnie asked in alarm.

"Kidding! Mostly."

* * *

"Careful, Ron," Kim said as she helped him limp towards the paramedics. "That cut on your leg looks really nasty."

"Don't worry, KP. I'm okay," Ron insisted. "It's just a scratch."

"A scratch that soaked your whole pants leg," Kim reminded him. "I want you to take it easy for a while. I mean it, Ron."

"Yes, Mom," Ron muttered, but he allowed the paramedics to tend to him willingly enough.

Kim backed up to give them room to work, reaching into her pocket just as her Kimmunicator beeped. A little startled, she pulled it out. "Go, Wade."

Wade look uncharacteristically stumped. "Uh, Kim. You remember that talk we had about the ethical implications of me having you two microchipped?"

Kim laughed softly. "I remember those chips saving our lives a few times, so yes. What about them?"

"You didn't happen to get another super genius to make more, did you?"

Kim frowned. "No. Why would you think that?"

"Because I only made two, and a third was just activated."

"A...third?" Kim asked in surprise. "Where?"

"My sensors indicate it's in rural Lowerton, but that's all I know. I can't tell who it's on...or how they got the chip in the first place."

"Well, someone's asking to be found, Wade. I might as well go and find them."

"Could be a trap, Kim," Wade reasoned. "I'm betting whoever has that chip didn't get it through good intentions."

"Probably not. But I know you didn't call me just to tell me not to check it out."

"Well...I am pretty curious about this. And leaving it unchecked could be dangerous in the long run. If someone can reproduce my technology this precisely, it almost can't be good news for us."

Kim nodded. "You better make travel arrangements for one, then. Ron's going to be on the injured list for a while."

Wade look skeptical. "Did he agree to that?"

"No, but I'm going to go tell him again." Kim ended the call and walked over to where Ron was sitting in the back of an open ambulance, cheerfully rebuffing all offers of help. Sighing, Kim quickened her pace.

"Hey, KP!" he greeted with a grin as she walked up. "So, what's next on the agenda?"

"I," Kim said, pointing to herself and placing considerable emphasis on the word, "am going to check out something for Wade." Then she poked Ron in the chest. "You," she added, putting even more emphasis on the word, "are going to sit back and let these people do their job and take care of you."

Ron's face fell. "But I-"

"Am going to sit back, and?" Kim interrupted firmly with no-nonsense look in her eyes.

Ron sighed. "Let these people do their job," he muttered.

"I know you're disappointed, Ron, but being stubborn isn't going to help that leg heal up. I need you in top shape."

"Because evil might strike before lunch tomorrow?" Ron guessed.

Kim smiled and slipped her arm around his shoulders. "No, because you're my best friend and I don't like seeing you hurt. But I guess the other one is a good reason, too."

"I like your reason better." Ron looked up. "This thing for Wade is a one-person thing, then?"

"It is now." Kim cut him off before he could protest. "If Wade thought I needed help, he would say so."

"Will you at least take Rufus with you?" Ron pleaded. "Just in case? I don't like the idea of you not having any back-up."

"Actually, I don't either," Kim admitted, holding out her hand.

Ron pulled Rufus from his pocket. "Okay, little buddy. You gotta watch out for KP for me. That means no snacking on the job. Well...maybe after the job. But only then!"

Rufus made a tiny salute before running up Kim's arm and sitting on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Ron," Kim said, patting his arm. "We'll be fine."

* * *

Two hours later, Kim found herself staring at a rather suspicious-looking patch of crabgrass.

"I've still got a lock on the chip, Kim. Either the location has a cloaking device, or it's underground," Wade reported from the Kimmunicator.

"I'm guessing the second one." Kim brushed away some dirt with her shoe, and was rewarded when the sunlight caught a metallic glint. Within a few seconds, she had revealed a steel trapdoor in the ground...as well as a very thick padlock. Even the surprisingly sharp teeth of Rufus couldn't get the lock to break, and when the naked mole rat shrugged in apparent defeat, Kim turned to Wade for ideas.

"Don't know that I've seen anything like this before. Unless...have you tried touching it?"

"Wade, are you trying to be funny?" Kim demanded.

"No, seriously, Kim. Take off your glove and touch it."

"Is this something I'm going to regret doing?"

"Since the lock didn't do anything to Rufus, you should be perfectly safe."

"For future reference, Wade, 'should be' and 'perfectly' don't go together."

"Noted," Wade replied with a light chuckle.

Kim sighed and laid a finger on the warm steel. She hoped that the warmth was due to the sun, and not some electrical current waiting to fry her. Luckily, both of Wade's theories proved correct: there was no immediate deterrent, and the trapdoor let out a loud hiss as the lock clicked open.

"Access Authorized. Welcome, Kimberly Anne Possible," said a cool female voice that Kim couldn't quite place.

"Uh oh!" Rufus chittered, shooting a worried look at Kim.

"I don't like it either, Rufus," Kim admitted.

"The door probably scanned your fingerprint," Wade concluded, "but I don't know why you'd be on its authorized list, Kim."

"I could always ask when I reach the bottom," Kim responded. "Rufus, you better ride in my pocket. There's a penlight, and I'll need you to aim it at the steps. I don't think we want to run into anything we can't see down there."

Rufus nodded and dove into the deep pocket on the leg of Kim's cargo pants, emerging seconds later with the penlight.

"One last word of warning, Kim," Wade added. "If this passage goes down as deep as I think, we might lose contact. If that happens-"

"Give me thirty minutes, then call Global Justice," Kim interrupted. "I'll call you back when I've got your microchip." She clicked the Kimmunicator off and took a deep breath. "Ready, Rufus?"

"Uh huh!" Rufus turned on the penlight and pointed the bright beam at the staircase.

Kim slipped through the trapdoor, landing lightly on the stairs. She'd only gone a few steps when the door began to slide shut behind her. Somehow, it didn't surprise her at all, and she turned her thoughts to taking the stairs at a wary but somewhat speedy pace. Whatever awaited her at the bottom, she didn't want to take the chance that it might get impatient.

* * *

Bonita Rockwaller had never been a big fan of irony, but she couldn't help but have a certain appreciation for it, considering her current situation.

As a teenager, her thinking had been no different than Bonnie's. She'd lived for herself, despised Kim Possible for no real reason, and assumed she was meant for great things.

Then Kim had vanished, and Shego became larger than life. Well, Shego's way became life, really, for anyone that remained on Earth. And while a younger version of Bonita hadn't really liked the idea of putting her dreams aside to become a servant, it wasn't as if there was much choice left. She could either work for the Supreme One willingly, or with a huge eyesore of a collar than turned her brain to obedient mush. Taking part in the resistance never occurred to her, largely because shopping and money were both Shego-owned and operated.

So Bonita had been rounded up with people she did or didn't know, and processed in the Attitude Adjustment Center, in order to make sure they were dedicated to toiling for the Supreme One. In Bonita's group, only one person hadn't been: a mousy-looking brunette with brown hair and freckles.

"We shouldn't have to be slaves!" she'd cried. "If Kim Possible were still here-"

"Well, she's not! And if she were, then she'd be paraded through the streets with an Obedience Collar!" Bonita had snapped. "The only difference between you and her is that she'd actually matter to the Supreme One. If you really want to be like Kim, keep running your mouth. Maybe we'll all get lucky, and the Supreme One will make you disappear, too."

The brunette had looked completely crushed…and then terrified as a shadow fell over her.

"You'd better thank Miss Rockwaller," the Supreme One instructed in a soft, dangerous tone. "She just put me in a really good mood, which means I won't make you disappear. I will, however, assign you to the sector where Kim Possible's house used to be. That way you can have your spirit crushed every time you realize she isn't coming back, for you or for anyone else."

From that moment on, Bonita had become one of Shego's favorite pawns. It seemed to amuse the Supreme One to no end that a civilian hated Kim Possible as much as she did without being ordered to first. Bonita was a natural choice to run the AAC, as she'd excelled in breaking spirits for years, and in the same building, no less. She'd enjoyed her job, so it never really seemed like work, or at least not manual labor.

There was also no doubt in Bonita's mind that the Supreme One was every bit as terrible as some people made her out to be (before a session with Bonita, anyway). Yet she saw that side of Shego less and less frequently when they were alone, which began to occur more and more frequently. At some point, Bonita found that most people were even afraid of her because she was considered close to the Supreme One. The question as to how close she was to Shego was answered the day she fell ill.

Sickness was a worrisome thing, to be sure. Shego's usual position on health care was, "Get sick, and you won't live long enough to regret it." Aside from that, there were plenty of instructors at the AAC just dying to take her place and earn Shego's favor. Combined with the fact that Bonita's illness was an uncommon one, she hadn't had much hope for surviving it.

Yet doctors had popped out of the woodwork, and most were in such high demand that no one but Shego could afford them…which had been the case, as it turned out. The moment Bonita was back on her feet, Shego had sent her a bill for the rather expensive treatment, including all the pampering she'd actually thought was heartfelt affection from the Supreme One. If it had been, then it was one of many things that just didn't come cheap under Shego's reign.

Strangely, it was only because she had to pay back the enormous debt herself that Bonita came to realize how much Shego had spent on her survival…and in turn, how much her life apparently meant to Shego. No one questioned the Supreme One without severe punishment, though, and so even Bonita was forbidden to discuss the matter in detail. She'd only gotten Shego to talk about it at all by stating the obvious: that she would never be able to repay the debt entirely.

The Supreme One's answer had been a smug smile and a pat on the head. "Don't worry yourself about it too much, Bon-Bon. Your life belonged to me either way."

In a way, though, being the personal property of the Supreme One had its advantages. She was the only person, other than Shego, to see the Tempus Simia idol on a regular basis. She had access to all the genetic alterations she could ever want, since it was a little-known fact that Shego kept DNAmy on staff, in order to continually improve upon her monkey ninja squad, and possibly herself. Of course, Bonita had kept herself all natural for a long time; she'd seen some of Amy's more monstrous success stories. It was only when Bonita had expressed an interest in entering the time stream that Shego had insisted that she at least have the one operation.

To this day, she had no idea why Shego had even allowed her to do so. Nor was she sure how Shego had gotten her hands on one of the resistance's chrono manipulators. What Bonita did know was that Shego hadn't let her touch the thing until she'd known its workings inside and out, as well as the dangers of meddling with the time stream. Again, she'd been touched by Shego's concern for her, however subtle Shego chose to believe it was.

But as much as Bonita returned those feelings, deep down, she'd still desired a world where she was free to be free. The more time she spent with Shego, the more she realized that it wouldn't be possible in a world where Kim Possible was a mere memory and Shego was the Supreme One. Shego had forbidden even the mention of her old foe, but Bonita suspected that in a strange way, Shego missed Kim and the competition she'd never failed to bring more than anyone. Shego had to miss Kim, really, because there were times when Bonita did, and they'd never even come to serious blows. Not compared to her now legendary battles with Shego, anyway. But after living in back-to-back eras where Kim did and didn't exist, Bonita now understood why so many people looked to her as their savior. A world with Kim Possible in it was a world with hope in it. Not only did she do the impossible, she made the impossible possible, simply by existing.

What bothered Bonita the most was that it had taken a lifetime of personal losses to make her see that, and only now were things really starting to turn around. And even though she wouldn't be able to enjoy them herself, she took comfort in the fact that Bonnie would. She had never made it this far before, made this big a difference in her own life. There was nothing that could stop her plans now. She had foreseen every eventuality, not because of some mutated super-intelligence, but because she'd learned from several lifetimes of her own mistakes. All it had cost her was…well, what remained of her life, and even that was slowly dripping away.

With a long sighed, Bonita ran her hands through her hair, knowing it had to be a mess by now. Her hair had always reacted badly to stress since the operation, and it was fortunate that she was immune to her own stings. Still, it wouldn't do to put anything else in her system right now. Her eyes flicked up to the row of monitors set into the wall, and a smile formed on her lips as she spotted movement at the bottom of the stairs.

"You're faster than I expected, Kim," Bonita whispered. "But still not fast enough. I've messed this up too many times, but no more. This time, my plans are set in stone." Her gaze traveled over the still form beside her. "They had to be," she murmured, closing her eyes and gulping down her second glass of juice.

* * *

Kim's spirits rose as finally reached the end of the staircase. They fell, however, when she spotted the vault with not one, but five keypad locks on it. Chances were, they all had different combinations, and since the Kimmunicator had been down for several minutes now, she and Rufus had little choice but to try and figure them out on their own.

"Okay, Rufus. If you've got any ideas, I'm all ears," Kim muttered as she slipped off her glove and pressed a finger to the steel door. She wasn't surprised when it remained shut, almost mockingly, it seemed to her.

Rufus hopped out of her pocket and studied the keypad closest to the floor. He reached out to begin pressing the keys, but a voice interrupted him before he could.

"You don't want to do that, Kim. Each additional code has to be entered within ten seconds of the last."

Kim froze as she recognized the voice. "Aunt Bonita?" Her eyes narrowed. "Is Bonnie in there with you?"

"Oh, you're a clever girl, Kim. That, I never doubted. Yes, she's right here. We decided to make a day of it, just the two of us. The poor thing is exhausted, so she's catching up on her beauty sleep."

"What are you doing to her?" Kim demanded.

"Is that concern I hear in your voice? Why is everyone around here so convinced I'd harm my own flesh and blood?"

"I know you're not her aunt!"

"She's still my flesh and blood, Kim. But if you're that worried, then please relax. I estimate it will take you just under thirty minutes to figure out all five codes. If you can't wait that long, don't fret: I'll be perfectly willing to open up in fifteen. The good news is, each lock is will accept any of the five codes, so long as another hasn't already. Your only clue is: through this, all things are able."

"I never figured you…well, Bonnie…as the religious type."

"Good. We're not," Bonita replied flatly before the speaker cut off.

Kim was stumped for about three minutes straight. By the five minute mark, she'd figured out that the clue was actually about her, and by seven, she'd narrowed down three codes to her date of birth, social security number, and phone number. The last two codes remained a mystery to her…at least, until Bonita's voice rang out again at ten minutes.

"Okay, so I cheated a bit. There's no way you could know the last two codes."

"Cocky, aren't you?"

"No. It's just impossible, because you'd have to retain memories of your trip through the time stream. Specifically, the dates you vanished from yours and reappeared in Shegoton."

"My…what?" Kim asked. "What in the world is Shegoton?"

"You'll find out. For now, just enter the numbers that I tell you."

Kim was only slightly relieved when her three guesses were proved correct. "Stay close, Rufus," she warned as the heavy door swung open. "Be ready for anything."

There was a dry chuckle from within the dark vault. "I told you to relax, Kim. I'm in no condition to hurt anyone, least of all you."

Something in her voice made Kim want to relax. But the second Kim caught sight of the shadowy, seated figure in green and black, all her senses kicked into overdrive. She could hear Rufus growling at her feet as she came to a stop just beyond the doorway.

"You want me to relax, you can show me where Bonnie is, then explain what you're doing here, and why you're wearing Shego's colors."

"I'd like to, I really would. But I'm afraid we only have time for the first one. Lights."

Kim threw her arm up just in time to avoid being blinded by the bright light that flooded the room. Even when she finally lowered her arm, she wasn't prepared for the sight that was waiting for her.

Bonita was slumped forward in her chair, her face hidden behind a mess of brown locks. Somehow, her hair seemed nearly twice as long as Kim remembered. Her gaze rested on the woman for a long moment, before finally focusing on the thin tube that was strapped to her left wrist, which ran down into a small, metallic cylinder on the floor. A second tube ran out of the cylinder's other side, where it stretched up to a similar strap on Bonnie's right arm. Several seconds passed before Kim recognized that there was blood in both tubes, and that the flow was directed towards Bonnie, not away from her. Confusion firmly blanketed her brain as she took a step forward and dropped to one knee, her eyes scanning the area.

"What are you looking for?" Bonita asked quietly.

"For the little machine that's going to feed her blood into you," Kim replied absently. She could almost hear the smile in Bonita's reply.

"Oh, that little machine." She paused for exactly five seconds. "There isn't one."

"Then when is this one going to stop?" Kim demanded.

Bonita raised her head slightly. "When there's nothing left."

It took a whole three seconds for Kim's brain to accept that statement. "What?"

"I realize you have different ways of donating blood these days," Bonita explained, "but then, I always was an overachiever. At least, when something really mattered to me."

Kim's muscles tensed as her eyes went back to the cylinder.

"Don't bother, Kim. I'm old, but I'm fast, even now."

After what she'd just learned, not trying wasn't even a possibility in Kim's mind. She lunged forward, even as she felt three sharp pricks in her neck. Her body seemed to lock up, and she fell flat on her face between Bonita's chair and Bonnie's stretcher, her hand just inches from the cylinder.

"I warned you. Assuming I still have the strength, I'll 'unlock' you in a few minutes."

"Don't do this," Kim pleaded. "There's no point!"

"Spoken like a true heroine," Bonita murmured softly. "Don't feel bad, Kim. The good guys always win. Sometimes they just take the scenic route, and sometimes they just seem like bad guys. But they always win in the end. Remember that."

Kim could only watch as a lock of Bonita's hair brushed past her shoulder and reached into her pocket, tugging out her Kimmunicator. "What are you doing?"

"My boss still had a sense of humor when she built this place," Bonita replied. "As it turns out, you've got the only elevator key." She tapped a few keys on the Kimmunicator before placing it on the floor.

Kim gasped as the entire room seemed to hum, and slowly began to rise. "I…I don't understand."

"Yeah, there's a lot of that going around," Bonita pointed out. "I'll just skip to the important part." She made a half-hearted attempt to brush the hair out of her eyes. "One day soon, Bonnie is going to apologize for every mean thing she's ever done to you."

Kim almost laughed at the very notion, but the solemn look on Bonita's face wouldn't allow her to.

"Whether you forgive her or not is your choice. But you need to know that it won't be a trick or anything like that. It'll be genuine and heartfelt."

"You mean it'll be the hardest thing she's ever done?" Kim asked without thinking.

Something like a smile appeared on Bonita's face. "Yes, actually. But don't hold that against her. She's a good kid. At least, she can be, with the proper motivation."

"So the Shego suit is supposed to represent what happens with improper motivation?"

Bonita shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Kim became aware of a steady, rapid tapping sound above their heads. She realized that it was now raining outside, and that they were closing in on the surface.

"Not…much…longer, now," Bonita breathed. She slid out of her chair and dropped heavily to the floor. After a few seconds, she crawled over to Kim. "Don't look back on this as a loss, Kim. Think of it more as…a necessary sacrifice. Check on Bonnie for me, would you?"

Kim felt a pinprick along her neck, and grunted as sensation returned to her body, although painfully. She winced as she made it to her feet and gingerly approached the stretcher.

Bonnie appeared for all the world to be sleeping, though there was a certain color to her cheeks that Kim couldn't recall having seen before. Even when the first drops of rain splashed against her face, Bonnie remained still. Kim wasn't too concerned, since Bonnie's pulse proved to be steady.

Kim looked up as the platform slowed to a stop, just in time to see the roof of the vault split in two to reveal the darkening, cloudy sky. Raindrops were a welcome refresher as they gently cooled her face. She was so relaxed that she nearly forgot that there was one last thing to worry about. The tube in Bonnie's arm was now clear…empty.

Even as she turned around, Kim sensed it was too late. Bonita was still sprawled on the floor, and hadn't moved an inch. Apparently, though, she'd found time to unlock Rufus, who Kim hadn't even known was paralyzed as well. The naked mole rat was groaning painfully and rubbing his back. Then he noticed Bonita's still form, and ventured closer to sniff her.

"Rufus…is she…?" Kim whispered.

Rufus carefully sidestepped Bonita's hair and leaned against her wrist. After several moments, he looked up at Kim and shook his head sadly.

Kim bent down to pick up Rufus, pressing his shuddering body to her heart. "It's okay to cry, Rufus. It's raining, and Bonnie wouldn't be in the mood to rag on us even if she was conscious, anyway."

Rufus immediately began to bawl, burying his face in Kim's shirt.

Kim could do little more than stroke his back and wonder about a great deal of things. Most of all, she wondered why she had to fail this day, and how she was going to explain it to Bonnie.

* * *

Next Chapter: Bonnie wakes up to a world without Auntie B…but she won't have to wonder why for long.

Reviews!

Alan Wilkinson

I think I see the plan here. But Auntie is going to have to be careful not to get Bonnie killed.

_If you think Bonnie's in any real danger, you're a bit off. Auntie may not be completely honest, but she hasn't lied to Bonnie. At least not by my (or her) definition of the word. Remember, whatever she's up to, she's had plenty of practice at it. Aside from that, keeping Bonnie happy and healthy is her first priority._

* * *

Sand Lord

Time travel sure gives you a headache. So Bonita wants to make Bonnie happy, doesn't that mean that she, when she returns to the future, will be happy too? That would sound like a think Bonnie would do, manipulating her past to perfect her present. Or are their timelines different, split apart when they are changed in the past? That would make Bonita quite a hero of her own right, making her younger self happy, while accepting her dark fate. BRAIN PAIN ALERT! Nice chapter, a bit scary at the end. I hope Bonnie and Tara are going to be an item, would be quite the romance. Keep up the good work, looking forward for more!

_I know what you mean when you're trying to figure out how the timelines overlap, but I can't exactly put it into words. It wouldn't matter much in this case, anyway. Bonita is only concerned with Bonnie's life, not her own. Nothing Bonita does in the past will have any impact on her own life in the future, simply because she won't be going back or living any longer. She has, however, changed Bonnie's future, at least in the sense that Bonnie won't become the exact same person that Bonita was._


	5. Bueno Bonnie

Chapter 5: Bueno Bonnie

If there was one thing Bonnie Rockwaller couldn't stand, it was people staring at her while she slept. While she couldn't remember how she'd found this out or who had committed the first offense, it was one of those major annoyances that never failed to put her in a bad mood for almost the entire day.

So when Bonnie woke up in a unfamiliar room (very troubling) that turned out to be a hospital room (even worse), she was already feeling a bit afraid. But any trace of fear vanished the moment she turned her head slightly to the right and found Kim Possible staring down at her.

Honestly, it bothered Bonnie more that it had been Kim watching her sleep, rather than the fact it had been anyone at all. But when Kim didn't immediately tease her for drooling (although she hadn't, anyway), Bonnie decided that screaming would probably be taken out of context. So she made do with an obviously annoyed, "What?"

Kim blinked, clearly not expecting that. "I...I'm glad you're okay. I was afraid that I'd failed you, too. Well...again. I mean..."

"Are you really tongue-tied, or are you just trying to be that annoying?"

Kim's face turned bright red as she fell silent and looked down.

Bonnie waited for the snappy comeback, and was almost disappointed when it never arrived.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Kim asked quietly.

The next verbal barb Bonnie had prepared died in her throat. "How did I get here?" she muttered.

Kim seemed to sense that Bonnie wasn't going to answer the question. "I found you, underground. I had Wade call Global Justice, and they-"

"Was I...alone?"

"No, you weren't."

"Then where is she?" Bonnie demanded at once. "Where's Auntie?"

Kim flinched at the accusation in her tone. "Bonnie, it's not that-"

"You did something to her, didn't you!" Bonnie cried. "If you hurt her, Possible, I swear I'll-"

"Bonnie!" a familiar voice shouted.

For the first time, Bonnie noticed Tara and Ron sitting in chairs at the foot of her bed. Ron was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, and Tara was staring at Bonnie in both disbelief and relief. For no reason that Bonnie could guess, the look on Tara's face made her feel strangely guilty.

"You should know by now that Kim would never hurt anyone without good reason," Tara stated. "You didn't even let her finish."

Tara's defense of her only made Kim seem more hesitant to proceed. It wasn't until Ron limped over and placed a hand on her shoulder that she was able to go on.

"Bonnie, there's a lot you don't know. I was there, and I'm still trying to figure it all out. But to answer your question...your aunt...I'm afraid she's...gone."

"She left me?" Bonnie whispered. "She went home? But..."

Kim bit her lip. "No, Bonnie. She...she's dead."

For several seconds, Bonnie didn't react at all. Then her expression crumbled, and she buried her face in her hands. "No...she promised..."

"Oh, Bonnie..." Tara murmured, crossing the room and slipping her arms around her best friend. "It's okay. Just let it all out."

"But she promised me!"

"Promised what?" Tara asked softly.

"She promised she wouldn't hurt me," Bonnie sobbed. "But this...it hurts." She pressed her face into Tara's shoulder, only vaguely aware that the unfamiliar, heartbroken wail in her ears was coming from her own mouth.

* * *

Kim forced herself to take deep, cleansing breaths as she practically ran out of Bonnie's hospital room and down the hall. For all the good they did in calming her down, she might as well have been duking it out with Shego. And at least then, her rate of success would've been fairly high.

Compared to what she was dealing with now, Shego was easy. Kim had always done her best, but she seemed to do better when the odds were against her, or when people doubted her abilities. Bonnie had always doubted her abilities, and there was nothing Kim loved more than proving her wrong time and time again.

So why was it that when Bonnie had, for the very first time, really needed her, she had failed?

But it was worse than that. Kim had let someone die on her watch. It didn't matter that Bonnie was physically fine (better than fine, if the doctors were to be believed), or that Wade's microchip had been found on her (but not removed). All that mattered was that Bonita Rockwaller was dead, and Kim considered herself at the very least indirectly responsible for that. She hadn't lifted a finger against the woman, but no doubt Bonnie wouldn't see it that way, no matter how many times the details were explained to her. Bonnie would never forgive her, and they would have that in common, because Kim didn't plan on forgiving herself in the near future, either.

Kim came to a stop in front of a vending machine. Hoping food would briefly take her mind off of her troubles, she reached into her pocket to locate some loose change. Her gaze flicked over the small variety of snacks, and landed abruptly on some banana chips, which were inexplicably in a green and black bag.

A shudder passed through her body, and the next thing Kim knew, she'd driven her fist through the glass and yanked the bag out, ripping it open and sending banana chips flying in every direction. Spotting another bag, she began to do it all over again, but someone grabbed her wrist.

"KP, don't," Ron said softly, turning her around. "You're only hurting yourself." He held up her wrist, which now had several shallow cuts in it.

Kim blinked, as if seeing him for the first time. "Why did she have to die, Ron?" she whispered. "Why couldn't she just give a pint of blood like everyone else?"

"I don't know, Kim. We barely even knew her. And it's not like you handed her a smoking gun. The way you told it, she was planning this."

"But I should've been able to stop her somehow. If I had, she'd still be alive, and Bonnie...Bonnie would still have her aunt, and she wouldn't hate me..."

"Okay, I think you're breaking into wishful thinking territory now," Ron pointed out. "You and Bonnie weren't exactly...well, us, before this whole thing, either. I'm sure Tara wouldn't mind explaining your side of the story. She wouldn't want Bonnie to get the wrong idea."

"Ron, maybe...it's better this way." Kim leaned against the wall and sank to the floor. "If I just let Bonnie think what she does now, I won't ever have to try and explain myself. She'll just hate me, and...and...that'll be it."

"There's one little problem with that, KP: Rufus was there. And if you think he's gonna let you walk around with your head down while Bonnie thinks you killed her aunt, well, you don't know my little naked buddy. Hey, if you think I'd let you do that, then you don't know me, either."

"News flash, Ron!" Kim snapped. "I so do NOT feel like a hero right now, okay?"

"Of course you don't," Ron replied. "Technically, you're a heroine."

Kim glared up at him.

"Look, when I signed on for this best friend thing, I'm pretty sure there was a part in the fine print about not letting you beat yourself up. And if there wasn't, I would've added it. Kim, there was nothing you could've done, and it's not your fault. I don't know how many different ways I can say that. She WANTED to die, you said so. She wanted it just as much as you wanted to save her. She just had superpowers to back up that desire, and you didn't. That's not your fault. It can't be."

"Bonnie won't see it that way," Kim muttered.

"You know what, SCREW Bonnie!" Ron shouted.

Kim looked at him in surprise.

"Uh, I mean, for the moment! Especially if worrying about what she thinks is making you act this way, KP. You did everything you could. I know you did, because I know you. And I know you don't deserve to feel the way you do right now. So please, just stop it, okay? There's only so many vending machines in this place, anyway."

Kim sighed. "I did kinda ruin the banana chips, didn't I?"

Ron shrugged. "Rufus would still eat 'em."

"I think I was justified. I mean, who puts Shego colors on food?"

"Banana-Fanna Foods, apparently," Ron replied, reading the back of the bag. "They've got an address for complaints. So I'll just write them and say that their packaging is subconsciously supporting a super villain. I'm sure they'll be forced to change the colors then. Maybe even to red and green. Cuz, you know, those are heroine colors."

"Very funny, Ron."

"Who's kidding? After we're done here, I'm going to get my red wig and green contacts, baby!"

Kim couldn't help picturing Ron in said wig and contacts, and so she couldn't help the smile that snuck its way onto her face.

"We'll need a tiny set for Rufus, of course. Maybe get Ned in on this action..."

"Okay, just stop!" Kim begged through her laughter. "I don't hate myself anymore, really!"

"What about Banana-Fanna?"

"I don't hate them, either. I just seriously question the people in their packaging department."

Ron grinned. "Great. So no more hating on the banana chips?"

"Consider them perfectly safe from my wrath." Kim looked up at Ron and smiled faintly. "You know, you're pretty good at this whole best friend thing."

Ron stuck out his chest a bit. "Well, you know how I hate to brag."

"Careful, Ron. I don't know if that leg of yours can support a swollen head right now."

"Actually, I'd forgotten about it in all the excitement," Ron admitted. "Bet I'll be raring to go back to work in no time." Noticing the hesitant look on Kim's face, he added, "Maybe you will be, too?"

"Maybe," Kim said quietly.

"I think what you need is a good Mom Hug," Ron decided, reaching down to pull Kim to her feet. "C'mon. She promised she wouldn't be far, in case Bonnie wanted a doctor she knew. Or in case you started doubting yourself. But we can keep that part between us."

"It won't matter, Ron. Mom always knows when something's bothering me."

Ron nodded. "Then we just won't mention the banana chip incident."

Kim turned bright red. "Works for me."

* * *

Tara hadn't known what to think when Mrs. Dr. Possible had called and asked her to come to Middleton Medical Center right away. That something might be wrong with Bonnie simply hadn't entered her mind. She'd told herself over and over again that Bonnie was with Auntie, and that Auntie wouldn't let anything bad happen to her.

From what she'd seen, that was mostly true. No one had said anything definite yet, but Tara had managed to catch snippets of hushed discussions, and she knew that Bonnie was in good health. In fact, she'd heard the phrase "modern medical miracle" tossed around, and after Kim had retold the events of that day, Tara began to put the pieces together.

As near as she could figure, something in Auntie's blood had made Bonnie better than ever, but it was also confusing the doctors a great deal. There had been a cluster of them in the room earlier, but Mrs. Dr. Possible had ordered them out so Bonnie could rest. Only Tara, Kim, and Ron had been allowed to stay. Kim had mentioned something about a stiff neck, but she'd planted herself at Bonnie's bedside so she could explain what had happened as soon as Bonnie woke up.

Bonnie hadn't taken the news well, and Tara had only taken it better because her biggest concern at the moment had been and was still her best friend. She hadn't seen Bonnie this upset since...well, since she'd found her crying in Auntie's arms on the night of the dance. It bothered her that Bonnie had cried so hard for her sake, but it also made her very much aware of Bonnie's feelings for her. And as she sat nearby and watched Bonnie toss and turn in her sleep, Tara was becoming more certain about her own feelings for Bonnie.

Strangely, it was her feelings for Bonnie that made Tara pull out her cell phone and highlight the number bookmarked as "Ron's Cell." She'd asked him for it that day he paid for her to have Josh's watch engraved, and dumbstruck, he had given it to her at once. Tara hadn't used it since, but now she was definitely thinking it was the next best thing to having Kim's number.

Ron picked up after two rings. "Tara?" he asked slowly, clearly shocked at finding her name on his cell phone.

"Hey, Ron. You're with Kim right now, aren't you?"

"Yeah, we just stopped in to visit Mrs. Dr. P. She should be on her way up with some news for you in an hour or so. And before you ask, she didn't tell us anything you don't already know."

"Okay, thanks. You guys...aren't leaving, are you?" Tara asked.

"Um...Kim was thinking about it, actually. There's not much she can do right now, and she's not so good at feeling useless."

Tara gripped her phone tightly. "Ron, please don't let her leave! Tell her I need to talk to her. Tell her it's urgent!"

"Is it Bonnie? Did something happen?" Ron asked at once.

"No, nothing like that. But I need to see her. Please, Ron. Don't let Kim leave until I've talked to her, face-to-face."

"Sure, Tara. I'll tell her. But, um...if it's something bad, maybe-"

"It's not, I promise. But it is something she needs to hear right away."

"Gotcha. We're on our way up now."

"Thanks, Ron. Really." Tara hung up and put her phone away as Bonnie's eyes slowly flickered open. Smiling, she leaned over and brushed her lips across her best friend's cheek. "Hey, Sleeping Beauty. Feeling any better?"

Bonnie didn't look better; she looked exhausted and afraid. "Tell me it was a bad dream, T. Tell me she's not really..." She trailed off, staring up at Tara hopefully.

Tara shook her head sadly. "I'm so sorry, Bonnie, but she is. It wasn't a dream." She laced her fingers through Bonnie's. "I was the one who had to identify her body. I wouldn't have believed it otherwise."

Bonnie closed her eyes and squeezed Tara's hand tightly. "I was afraid of her. I said all those awful things to her. I never even thanked her for saving us. And she still loved me, anyway."

"She was a good person. It was just hard to see sometimes." Tara gently traced Bonnie's cheek with her free hand. "Know what I mean?" she asked softly, staring into Bonnie's eyes.

"Yeah," Bonnie said quietly, unable to look away. "I know what you mean."

"Good." Tara lowered her voice a bit. "She...she really was...you, Bonnie. That means you can turn out even better than she did, if you really wanted to. But I think you'd have to start taking her advice seriously. Now."

"Like what?"

"Well, you may not be ready yet, but I think apologizing to Kim for earlier would be a great start. We can work on apologizing for the rest later. But I think you should do it before Kim has more time to dwell on it."

Bonnie didn't say anything.

"You cannot look me in the eye and honestly tell me you think Kim had anything to do with Auntie's death, Bonnie. You just needed someone to blame, didn't you? Kim didn't accept it because she was guilty, she accepted it because she felt guilty. She already had the weight of Auntie's death on her. She didn't need anything else to deal with. How would you feel if I blamed Auntie's death on you?"

Bonnie gasped sharply and sat up. "I didn't-!"

"Of course you didn't," Tara said soothingly, gently pushing her back down. "But now you have some idea of how Kim feels. She tried her best for you, Bonnie. If you won't thank her, at least tell her you're sorry for what you said. It could only make apologizing to her a second time even easier. Think of this as practice."

"You make it sound so easy," Bonnie muttered.

"The kind of Bonnie I want to be with would do it, no matter how hard it was," Tara pointed out.

Bonnie stared at her. "What do you mean, when you say you want to be with me?"

"There's only one way you'll find out," Tara replied. "If you get stuck, just remember that Auntie thought the world of Kim. How bad could she really be?"

* * *

"I don't know if I can go in there again, Ron," Kim sighed.

"So we'll wait here and hope Tara comes out," Ron answered, leaning against the outer wall of Bonnie's hospital room. "Or I could call her on my cell phone when you think you're ready."

"But what can I say if she jumps down my throat again? How can I defend myself?"

"You don't have to. I'll do it, if Tara doesn't beat me to it. The point is, you can't hide from Bonnie forever. You shouldn't be hiding from her at all, KP. You didn't do anything wrong!"

At that moment, the door opened, and Tara stuck her head out. Her face lit up as soon as she spotted Kim.

"Um...you had something to tell me?" Kim asked.

"I did." Tara closed the door and walked up to Kim. Then, without warning, she wrapped her arms around Kim's neck and hugged her. "You're not a failure, Kim. Bonnie and I wouldn't be here today if weren't for you and Ron saving us all those times. So don't dwell on the one life you didn't save. Think about the hundreds that you did. Those are the ones you should remember. Those are the ones you can still help. So if you're thinking of not doing what you do anymore, then stop. We need you, and so does the rest of the world."

"Oh. Thanks," was all Kim could think to say, looking helplessly at Ron.

"Why don't you come in for a minute?" Tara asked, dragging Kim towards Bonnie's room.

"Do I have to?"

Tara smiled. "Yes, you do. Just for a minute. Bonnie has something she wants to say. Well, something I made her say. Whatever works best for you."

"Maybe I should go in, too," Ron suggested.

Tara pointed at him firmly. "Stay. This is between Kim and Bonnie. It'll just be harder if someone else is with them."

"Wait, you're not coming in with me?" Kim asked Tara.

"No. Bonnie knows what she has to do, and she doesn't need me to hold her hand for it."

"You could hold my hand instead," Kim offered with a weak smile.

"Kim, it'll be fine, and it'll only take a minute. Bonnie is just as uneasy as you are, but it needs to be said. All you have to do is listen."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Kim murmured as she eased the door open.

* * *

Bonnie's eyes snapped open as she heard the door close. She kept her gaze trained on the window. "Sit." She waited until she heard the chair by the bed shift slightly. "Sorry I snapped at you earlier."

"It's okay," Kim said at once. "I understand."

"No, you don't. Auntie was...she was great. Only she didn't let me find that out until...well, until now. So it hurts. I had to blame someone. And..."

"You invariably blame me?" Kim guessed.

"Well, you were actually there this time," Bonnie pointed out. "So I want you to tell me how it happened. Tell me how she died."

"Do you love her?" Kim asked quietly.

Bonnie blinked and finally looked at her. "Does it matter?"

"Yes. Because if you do, then it'll only hurt more when I tell you. And despite what you may think, I don't want to hurt you, Bonnie. Especially not now."

"I need to know either way," Bonnie stated.

"Fine." Kim closed her eyes. "When I found her, she was draining her blood and giving it to you. But when I realized that she wasn't going to stop, I tried to stop her. She wouldn't let me."

"So she killed herself," Bonnie said flatly.

"I wasn't...prepared for her. If I'd known how prepared she was for me, maybe I could've stopped her. But I went into this blind, and she knew it. She knew everything, I think."

"I'm starting to think that, too." Bonnie closed her eyes tightly. "Did she...say anything? About me?"

"She said you were a good kid. Or you could be, anyway." Kim paused. "I'm starting to think she was right."

"Why?"

"She seemed like a very sensible woman, all things considered. I don't think she'd give up her life for someone who wasn't worth the trouble. Tara wouldn't have sent me in here if she didn't think the same."

"You still think we're dating?"

Kim smiled. "What I think doesn't matter. She's here, and she cares about you. That much is obvious. How much she cares...I think you'd have to ask her yourself. And I think I should go now, so you can."

Bonnie bit her lip as Kim stood up, and managed to remain quiet when she headed for the door. "Wait!" she finally cried as Kim reached out to open the door.

"Yes?" Kim asked, turning around.

"Do me a favor?"

"Okay," Kim said warily.

"Tell Tara I apologized. About earlier. She'll believe you."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah." Bonnie lowered her voice. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"For...trying to save Auntie."

Kim looked a little surprised, but she nodded. "You're welcome," she said before opening the door and walking out.

A few minutes later, Tara came back. "See, that wasn't hard at all, was it?" she asked.

Bonnie didn't say anything, even when Tara came over and squeezed her hand.

"Don't you feel better, at least?"

"Now that you're here, yes."

Tara grinned. "Well, you're supposed to, silly."

"I want you there when I do the big apology."

"Okay. You have a date in mind?"

"No."

"Do you think she'll accept?"

"What can I do if she doesn't?" Bonnie countered.

"Nothing, I guess. But I don't think she'd refuse to forgive you, if you show her you really mean it."

"How do I do that?"

"You'll think of something, I'm sure," Tara said confidently.

"Is this...hard for you?" Bonnie asked suddenly.

Tara blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean...well...because of Josh."

Tara stared at her. "What about him?"

Bonnie couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You DO remember Josh?"

"Of course I remember him, Bonnie. What I don't understand is why you're bringing him up."

"I just thought...since he died so recently, and-"

"This situation has nothing to do with that one. So why do you think this is hard for me?"

"I...I wasn't sure if you were...well...over him."

"That would depend on your definition, I guess. It's been a long time since I last burst into tears over him, if that's what you mean. I prefer to remember him the way he was, not the way he died. But I can't really do that with Auntie, since she died for you. But that will help me remember what kind of person she was...and what kind of person she wanted you to be." Tara smiled and raised Bonnie's hand to her face, brushing her lips across Bonnie's knuckles. "The kind of person I would be proud to be with."

Suddenly, the only sound Bonnie could hear was the loud beating of her own heart. That, and Dr. Possible clearing her throat quietly from the doorway.

"Sorry to interrupt, girls, but I've got the charts on Bonnie's blood work. I think you'll be pleased to know that Bonnie is in perfect health. At least, we all think she is."

"You think?" Tara asked slowly.

"Well, that's the thing. By our standards, she's healthy. But our standards don't really apply in this case, because quite frankly, we can only identify about 70 of Bonnie's blood content. The rest seems to be made up of unknown cells and...other things. We have been able to identify a toxin that's normally found in-"

"Jellyfish?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes," Dr. Possible said slowly. "And even that's undergone some sort mutation. Anything else I could tell is purely guesswork on our part. I don't suppose you know anything else? Perhaps something maybe too many people shouldn't hear?"

"Something like that," Bonnie murmured. "Sorry."

"It's fine, Bonnie. This is a difficult time for you, and I understand the need for secrecy in certain cases. I just hope you're aware enough of the situation that you would know if something were wrong."

"I'm...pretty sure I'm fine," Bonnie replied. "For now, at least."

"Well, Kim mentioned that Global Justice is taking a thorough look at that underground vault as we speak. If your aunt left any of her things at your house, you'll want to secure them in a safe place before the agents start poking around."

"You said I'm okay. So can I go home right now?"

Dr. Possible seemed hesitant about the suggestion. "I suppose. Normally, I'd warn you about being careful in your delicate condition, but again, I'm not quite sure what your condition is. Still, maybe you should...just..."

"I'll keep her at home for a few days," Tara volunteered. "It'll give us time to collect Auntie's things and...talk."

"That's probably for the best. Feel free to call me here or at home if you have any questions...or answers, for that matter."

* * *

Reviews!

Sand Lord

This got me wondering. I like that in stories. Shego was interested in Auntie Bonita and in turn this allowed Bonita to make her move and carry out her plan. But the Brain Pain continues: Bonita remembers Kim's trip in time to Shegoton, but this timeline vanished or separated when Ron destroyed the Tempus Simia. All are safe and sound. But Bonita still continues with her plan and her sacrifice. Doesn't that mean that Bonnie has to do with Shego taking over and she needs a change of heart to prevent this future. Or is it really "only" an attempt to get Bonnie thinking. Hmm. I'm looking forward to the next chapter. Keep up the good work!

_The way I look at it is this: if Shego could take over the world once, she could do it again. In fact, since she's done it once, it's even more likely, since history repeats itself. And it's very unlike Shego not be prepared for Kim eventually catching up to her, especially if a future version of herself had warned her (again). Plus, I wonder: when Ron destroyed the Tempus Simia, did the idol itself cease to exist, or did its two parts just return to their original hiding places in the repaired timeline? If it's the latter, then the events from the movie really could happen all over again, with minor changes (such as certain people retaining vague memories of the lost timeline, like Ron's meatcake outburst). I think the effect would be strongest in people who were either closest to the idol at the time of its destruction, or those who possessed it longest. Either way, Shego comes out of it with some extra knowledge, which she can pass on to Bonita. If the process repeats itself enough, you eventually have a Shego (and probably a Ron and Kim) that remembers virtually everything about the "lost" timeline. And I'd be shocked if anyone understood all that._


	6. Hello, Holo

Chapter 6: Hello, Holo

"Are you sure this is all she had?" Tara asked, motioning to the black suitcase.

"It's all I could find in Connie's room, aside from that painting I gave her," Bonnie explained. "Maybe she put the rest of her clothes and things in storage or something."

"So...are you going to open it?"

"I guess I have to. Might be something important in it." Bonnie carefully undid the clasps and took a deep breath. "Okay. Ready?"

Tara stared at her. "You act like you expect rubber snakes to come flying out of it."

"Well, you never know." Bonnie slowly opened the suitcase, but nothing came flying out.

Tara leaned forward a bit. "Is that some kind of future mirror?"

Bonnie almost said no, since it looked more like something her grandmother would have in her attic. It did seem like a round mirror at first, with small green gems embedded in the silver frame. But then she noticed how bulky it was, and knew at once that it would never be able to hang on a wall.

"Maybe it's a scale," Tara guessed again. "It's big enough."

"Help me pick it up," Bonnie said at last. "Maybe we can figure out what it is once we get a better look at it."

"Okay," Tara agreed. "I just hope it doesn't mind being moved."

Bonnie frowned at her. "I thought you said it was a scale?"

"It could be a future scale! Maybe they have feelings!"

"Even if it did, it's still a scale, T. What's it going to do, weigh us to death?"

Tara looked fearfully at the mysterious object, and relaxed somewhat when it didn't protest being insulted. "Fine."

The girls carefully lifted the object and set it down on the floor.

"Well," Tara panted, "if it's not a scale, and one of us steps on it, there's no way it would break. How did she move it by herself?"

"She was probably stronger than she looked," Bonnie answered.

"I don't see an on switch anywhere. How do you think-"

Bonnie passed her hand over the glass-like surface, but yanked it back when a column of green light flickered into existence over the round platform. "Found it," she laughed nervously.

Tara was about to give her a lecture on being more careful, but her voice died in her throat when a tall, pale-skinned woman with long, black hair suddenly appeared, a sinister smile on her face.

"Hello," she said in a voice like poisoned honey. "This BrainBox is registered to Bonita Rockwaller. If you're not her, you'll regret it in 3, 2, 1..."

Without knowing why she did it, Bonnie grabbed Tara and pushed her to the floor, even as the entire room was blanketed momentarily in bright green light. She looked up to see the woman had extended her hand, which seemed to be on fire.

"Welcome, Bonita. You have one download file saved. Would you like to open it now?"

Bonnie licked her dry lips. "Yes?"

The woman vanished, and was soon replaced by a much more familiar one.

"Auntie?" Bonnie whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Auntie stared back at her with a sad smile. "Hey, sugarplum." Her eyes flicked downward briefly. "Um, we could talk later, if you're busy..."

Bonnie looked down, suddenly realizing she had pinned a slightly red Tara to the carpet. "Oh. Um. Sorry, T."

Tara started to say something, paused, and finally decided on whispering, "I'm fine." She said nothing when Bonnie pulled her up, and seemed somewhat reluctant to finally release the offered hand.

"Well. That was...interesting," Auntie noted. "If you found my BrainBox, then you must have my blood already."

"How are you...doing this?" Bonnie asked slowly.

"Think of me as a interactive hologram," Auntie suggested. "That's the short answer. The long one is I downloaded a copy of my brain into this thing. Basically, I can tell you anything you want to know about me, you, and the future. Well, anything that I knew at the time, anyway."

"What time?"

"Mmm...this file was last updated yesterday. So, pretty recently."

"Why did you die?" Bonnie asked quietly.

Auntie sighed. "I told you I was only here for you, sugarplum. I told you I'd give everything for you, and I did. I know, I wasn't exactly detailed, but I couldn't be, could I? Would you have really let me do what I did if you'd known about it up front?"

"No."

"Good to know. As for why, well...it was just time, trust me on that. I'm not kidding when I say I looked good for my age. And in case you were wondering, this BrainBox contains a blood sample from me, which is what it scanned for when you turned it on. I had to make sure you couldn't gain access until after I gave you my blood."

"What about that scary woman who was there first?" Tara asked.

Auntie chuckled. "Oh, her? That was Shego; she owns almost all the technology from my time. Don't worry, she wouldn't have really done anything if you'd found this early. The original models came equipped with tear gas, but this one just plays old show tunes really loudly for an hour or two. So I'd be able to come and find you if you went snooping through my stuff."

Tara frowned. "That reminds me, where's the rest of your stuff? All we could find is this, and Kim said Global Justice would confiscate anything they found."

Auntie shook her head. "This is all that really mattered. So long as I can just tell you what's important, nothing else is."

"I need some air," Bonnie said suddenly, getting to her feet and heading for the door. She had just reached it when she heard Auntie call to her.

"Bonnie, wait. There's something I need you to know, so you'll never have to wonder."

"What?" Bonnie asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"I didn't do this to hurt you. I did this because I want to always be here for you. If you don't need me, all you have to do is turn this off and be done with it. But if you do...I'll be here. Always."

"Yeah. Thanks," Bonnie muttered as she left the room.

"She really is glad you're here," Tara said quietly. "It's just...you did die."

"I know," Auntie sighed. "But this is the only way I can know for sure that Bonnie has my guidance. I couldn't take the chance that I might...well, dumb as it might sound, die unexpectedly. I needed a way to be here with no chance for failure. This technology is a lot tougher than I am, and it'll last as longer than I would've. It was the only way, Tara. But I'm never as worried about Bonnie when you're around to look after her."

* * *

Tara found Bonnie standing in front of one of the long windows in what they'd come to think of as the sun room, staring closely at her hands, as if they were no longer attached to her body. If there was one place in the house where one could get the most fresh air, though, it was here. Sunlight streamed in through each of the many windows, and there were precious few spots of shade to be found.

"I, um, turned Auntie off and put her under your bed," Tara stated.

Bonnie didn't move or speak.

Tara walked over to Bonnie and hugged her from behind, placing something small and cool in her open hand. "Here."

Bonnie blinked and stared at the penny in her palm. "What's this for?"

"It's a penny. For your thoughts," Tara explained with a grin. "So spill."

Bonnie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "She really did think of everything, T. She knew it would break my heart when she died. She knew she'd still be here afterwards. She knew I'd forgive her for leaving me, even though I didn't want to."

"So you are glad she's here? Even if she's trapped in that future scale?"

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Of course I am. And it's a BrainBox, not a future scale."

"I like my version better," Tara insisted, giving her a little squeeze.

"You would." There was a brief pause. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure," Tara replied at once, resting her chin on Bonnie's shoulder.

"If a cute guy asked you out tomorrow, what would you say?"

Tara thought for a moment. "I'd have to say no."

"Why?"

"Not because of Josh, if that's what you're thinking. Just because it was a cute guy."

Bonnie frowned. "What, you'd want an ugly guy?"

Tara laughed. "No, Bonnie."

"Then what do you want?"

"Well, this is going to seem really specific, but just hear me out. I want a cute girl. A cute brunette, actually. She has to be athletic, outspoken, and maybe a little snippy around the edges. Oh, and her name should definitely start with a B." She sighed wistfully. "If only I could get asked out by someone like that, I'd say yes in a heartbeat. But I've never been that lucky before." She sighed again. "Oh, hey, what are you up to next Tuesday?"

Bonnie smirked. "I think I'll be busy. I might have a date that night."

"Really? Nuts! Guess I can't go with you, then."

"I'm pretty sure I can fit you in somewhere."

"Well, only if you're sure I wouldn't be a third wheel."

"You wouldn't even know anyone else was there, I promise."

* * *

Kim Possible had just settled into her usual seat for lunch in the cafeteria when she was ambushed.

"Kim, did you hear?" Monique demanded, shoving Ron out of the way as she rushed over to the table.

Kim grabbed Ron's arm and steadied him before he could drop his tray. "Hear about what, Mon?" Kim asked, already intrigued.

"About the raging bull that looks a lot like a former friend of ours?" Ron muttered, rubbing his elbow.

Monique patted his arm in what she seemed to think was a soothing manner. "Sorry, Ron. ANYWAY! Did you hear about Bonnie and Brick?"

"They're off again?" Kim guessed.

"Not just again, for good!"

"Hard to believe," Ron commented. "What's the point of breaking up if they can't get together in two months or so? That's what they've always done. It's like a cheerleader code. Or a Bonnie code. I never was too clear on that part."

"Ron has a point," Kim agreed. "Sometimes I think Bonnie likes breaking up with Brick more than she likes being with him."

Monique shook her head insistently. "Amelia was there, and I got the dirt from her. Bonnie dumped Brick in front of the whole football team. Said it was really over this time, and gave him back his locket."

"How'd the big guy take it?" Ron asked.

Monique smirked. "Pretty well, since he asked Bonnie if Tara was seeing anyone."

"Ouch," Kim murmured.

"It didn't help that she was standing right there, either. Tara completely chewed Brick out, and called him an insensitive...well, brickhead."

"I always thought the name was a bit too coincidental," Ron admitted.

"How's Bonnie holding up?" Kim asked.

Monique shrugged. "She's putting up a strong front. But she hasn't been seen without Tara at all today, so it's hard to say."

"I need to talk to her," Kim decided.

"Who, Tara?" Monique asked.

"No, Bonnie."

Ron blinked. "Um...KP, I know you mean well, but are you sure Bonnie would want to talk to you right now? What if she's still not over...you know?"

"This breakup might be a sign that she is, Ron."

"Or it might mean she's taking it even worse than you thought," Monique offered. "Maybe you should ask Tara first. Find out if Bonnie's just cutting loose the dead weight or really pushing people away."

"Let me do it," Ron said suddenly. "Bonnie might feel less threatened if it was me asking."

"How do you figure?" Kim asked.

"Well, I can't wear her clothes better, style my hair better, or be more popular than her. What's there to be threatened by, other than a connection to you?"

"He's got you there, girl," Monique agreed.

"Guess I'm outvoted," Kim relented. "But I hope you remember this exercise in democracy if she bites your head off."

Ron shrugged as he stood up, apparently meaning to carry out his mission immediately. "Better me than you, right? Don't say I never did anything for you." He saluted and ran off.

"So who do you think Bonnie's going to date next?" Monique ventured.

Kim thought about it for exactly one second. "Tara."

Monique nearly choked on her fruit juice. "Seriously?"

Kim nodded. "Actually, Mon, I think maybe that's why she really broke up with Brick."

"Wow. Bonnie? Are you sure, Kim?"

"Almost completely. She's really not the same person anymore."

"And...is that good or bad for the general public?"

"Well, that's the thing: I'm not totally sure. But I have to say, I've got a good feeling about this Bonnie. Well, a better feeling than I did about the old one, anyway."

Monique didn't look too impressed. "Guess we have to take what we can get on this one."

"She's trimming the fat," Ron announced as he returned. "All important persons accounted for. Grief...almost completely absent. I say Bonnie Rockwaller is perfectly sane for the moment."

"And you base that on what?" Monique asked.

Ron grinned. "I had to clear my throat three times before she even noticed me. And considering she was practically leering at Tara, I'd say that makes her completely non-crazy. Playing for the other team, but very non-crazy."

"Told you," Kim said to Monique with a triumphant smile.

Monique shook her head. "Next, you're going to tell me she's actually civil two or three days out of the week, right?"

"Well," Ron added, "when she told me to get lost, she didn't call me a loser...or anything else. Does that count?"

"Since it's Bonnie? Yes," Kim answered.

* * *

Next Chapter: Bonnie thinks it's a dinner date, but Tara has other ideas.

Reviews!

Manaic Polar Bear

Alright. I KNOW there has to be something sinister in that blood...Bonita said she was stripping Bonnie of her will. Is she gasp! FORCING her to be nice to Kim and fall (more) in love with Tara? Also, I know that you're doing a more metaphysical/spiritual take on the "futures past concept, but why oh WHY haven't you covered the egotism inherent in actually loving "yourself"? Or how much this conforms to Bonnie's character? Seriously, it's like kissing a mirror!

**(I wrote this reply before we talked at the KP Slash Board, so the parts you've heard are mainly for the benefit of others)**

_The only thing that could be sinister about the blood is the jellyfish toxin, and Bonita already told Bonnie about it. The stripping of her will was paralyzing Bonnie and kidnapping her, nothing else. Bonita may have manipulated events so that Bonnie feels the need to makeup with Kim or stay closer to Tara, but that's got nothing to do with the blood content. _

_I don't really see Bonita's love for Bonnie as egotism. They are two very different people, despite being the same person. Bonnie mentally sees Bonita as an aunt, and Bonita 'feels like a parent', remember? The love between Bonita and Bonnie isn't really self-love, because they genuinely think of each other as relatives after a certain point. Of course Bonita is very aware of the fact that she's literally improving her old life, but there is no way she can actually benefit from it, other than knowing she helped Bonnie (who she thinks of as a daughter), so it's less egotistical and more parental. _

* * *

bad

well to answer the whole timeline issue, time is placed in stone, it cannot be hanged, unless it is changed for a reason, everything is fate and destiny, time changes on it own accord, time cannot change because it has already happened, it has to happen in the present to change, therefore time cannot change because it has already happened, if we could change it, let me give an example, if my friend dies, and i build a time machine to save him, and i save him, we have a time loop, because if i save him, then i wont build the time machine, which means he dies and i build the time machine, that cant happen, because time will constantly change. JEEZ i sound like the matrix now, time is change, and it will change as the chosen one, chooses it to.

or we can stick to the less complicated theory of different dimensions for different times,

well anyways good, and we can all tell tara and bonnie love each other, so make em tell em already, waiting is thinning my patience, and maybe add some lemon, just a thought though

_Okay, my head hurts. For the sake of this story, I'm sticking to the cartoonish idea that going back in time can change both the present and the future, and I'm staying away from loop logic as much as possible. Let's just assume that Bonita's actions result in a new, yet not completely different timeline from that of her own future. There are plenty of hints throughout the story that Shegoton is still a very real threat in Bonnie's future; all the more reason for her to get her personal affairs in order right away. The funny thing about loving someone is that telling them becomes a huge deal. Same applies here, so no one's rushing._


	7. Date with Destiny

Chapter 7: Date with Destiny

"I told you, it's a surprise," Tara insisted for the fifth time. "Now quit asking me so I can drive." She reached over and swatted Bonnie's wandering hand away from the blindfold. "And no peeking!"

Bonnie grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest. Tara was having a bit too much fun with this, in her opinion. She had agreed to this because Tara had seemed so desperate to make their first official date a really big deal. She hadn't been too crazy about the blindfold, but Tara had claimed it was necessary.

"Can't you at least give me a hint?" Bonnie asked.

"I don't have to," Tara replied teasingly. "Because you trust me, right?"

Bonnie made a face, but held her tongue. They both knew she never would've allowed anyone else to blindfold her; trust wasn't the issue. Bonnie's impatience, however, was another thing entirely.

"Just relax, Bonnie," Tara suggested. "I promise this will be a night you'll remember for the rest of your life."

"You sound pretty sure of that."

"I'm sure of a lot of things these days," Tara replied.

"Oh, really. Like what?"

"Like, we're here," Tara pointed out as the car came to a stop.

Bonnie instantly began to reach for her blindfold, but Tara pulled her hands away and squeezed them.

"Not yet! Wait until I take it off!"

"When?" Bonnie demanded.

"Soon," Tara promised. Smiling, she raised Bonnie's hands and kissed her fingertips lightly. "But NOT yet," she added firmly.

Blushing, Bonnie nodded faintly and waited until Tara helped her out of the car. She couldn't hear any other people, or the usual sounds of a parking lot, and hoped Tara hadn't paid too much for a super exclusive spot.

"Tara, you didn't go to too much trouble, did you?"

"Nope, it was all too easy," Tara assured her. "They practically begged us to eat here. I thought it would be a nice change of pace."

Bonnie was sure she heard a door open ahead of her, and then Tara was guiding her into some sort of building. She was just about to try asking where they were when Tara suddenly yanked her to one side, even as a strangely familiar pair of voices shouted, "INCOMING!"

Bonnie heard a loud zooming noise, and something very hot blew past her. Deciding she'd had enough, she ripped off the blindfold in time to see what looked like a homemade rocket flying out of the house she was standing in.

"Tara, you didn't!" she cried, whirling around to face her best friend.

Tara looked completely unrepentant. "I have no idea what you mean. I brought you here for a nice dinner, and I intend to have one."

"But, Tara-"

"I have the car keys," Tara reminded her, "and I'm not leaving until after dinner."

Bonnie's face fell. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Because nothing is healthier for a certain stubborn somebody than a heaping helping of tough love. And make no mistake, Bonnie, I'm going to be very tough on you."

"Why? And why tonight?"

Tara sighed and smiled sadly. "Because that's how much I love you. Why else would I do this?"

Bonnie just stared at her, unable to think of even one suitable reply.

"I'm going to see if Mrs. Possible needs any help in the kitchen...or with runaway rockets. You just take your time...oh, and keep your head down." Tara reached out and stroked Bonnie's arm lightly before walking away.

Bonnie shook her head, feeling numb all over. She knew exactly what Tara was trying to do, but a forced apology wouldn't make Kim any more inclined to forgive her. If anything, it would ruin the whole night. Tara was right about one thing, though: she wouldn't be forgetting this night any time soon.

Deciding she needed to sit down before she fell down, Bonnie wandered into the living room, nearly tripping over Ron Stoppable, who was sprawled on the floor between the couch and the TV.

"Oh. Hey, Bon-Bon," he greeted casually enough, sparing her a bright smile before turning back to the TV. "I wasn't sure if you'd make it."

"You knew about this?" Bonnie demanded.

"Tara mentioned you two might stop by for dinner tonight. I'm just here for emotional support."

Bonnie glared down at him. "I think we can manage without you."

Ron chuckled. "That's great, but I'm here for Kim. You know, she isn't prepared for this, either."

"What's that mean?" Bonnie asked in confusion.

"I'm pretty sure she'll look ambushed, just like you do now. She doesn't know you're going to be here."

"This is a bad idea, I just know it," Bonnie muttered.

Ron waved off her concern. "Nah, we get worse surprises all the time. As long as you don't have a detonator strapped on you anywhere, I think KP will recover pretty quickly."

In that moment, Bonnie almost wished she did have one, as it would at least bring a swift end to this night.

* * *

"Thanks again, General Roberts!" Kim said brightly as she climbed out of the jeep.

The big man laughed. "Think nothing of it, Miss Possible. The boys and I would still be stranded in that jungle if weren't for you!"

Kim smiled easily. "I'm sure you would've managed on your own. I was just in the neighborhood and decided to help out."

But General Roberts was not a man who took that particular rescue lightly, as he proved when Kim started to walk away. "Present arms!"

The General and the two soldiers accompanying him immediately saluted.

Blushing profusely, Kim quickly returned the salute and hurried towards her house, hoping none of the neighbors had noticed. She only relaxed when she finally heard the command, "Order arms!" and the rumbling of the jeep as it drove off.

Kim breathed easier as she fished out her key and unlocked the front door. She'd only taken a few steps when the familiar smell of her mother's chicken casserole hit her nose.

"Kimmie, you're late!" Mrs. Possible called from the dining room.

"Sorry, Mom! Mission ran a little long!" Kim shouted back. Actually, it probably wouldn't have taken as long if Ron hadn't volunteered to help prepare tonight's dinner. While he was certainly a genius in the kitchen, Kim's mother had never expressed any need for help in cooking, and Kim couldn't figure out why Ron had seemed so eager to stay behind.

Kim took one step into the dining room, stopped, and blinked.

Bonnie Rockwaller was sitting at the dining room table. Right next to Kim's usual seat, no less.

Kim considered that, and the fact that only Bonnie and Ron seemed a bit tense about the whole thing. She blinked again, then proceeded into the room, pausing to kiss her mother's cheek before sitting down between Bonnie and Ron. "Dad working late again?" she asked.

"Yes, they're going to send up another satellite later this week."

"Cool. Bonnie, could you pass the peas?"

Looking a little shocked, Bonnie did just that.

"So, Kim, the mission went well?" Tara asked hesitantly.

"Oh, just fine. It was more diplomacy than anything else. Nothing, well, too dangerous."

Tara looked relieved. "I just wondered. Because of the dog tags around your neck, I mean."

Bonnie nearly dropped her fork. "You enlisted?"

"What? No, no!" Kim assured her. "They were a gift. General Roberts gave them to me. He insists I wear them when I work with him. Otherwise, apparently, the entire U.S. Army will think I don't like them."

"Oh," Bonnie muttered, but she still looked a little shaken up.

"What, you think I'd just leave the squad so you could take over?" Kim asked jokingly.

Bonnie stared at her plate. "No...never mind."

Kim got the distinct impression that something she'd said had bothered Bonnie, but she couldn't figure out what it was.

* * *

For Bonnie, dinner passed largely without incident. Tara kept Kim busy with an endless supply of questions, all of which were obviously intended to show how super a person Kim was. Honestly, if Bonnie had wanted that, she would've just asked Ron to sing Kim's praises. Apologizing to Kim was one thing, but having to listen to how great she was beforehand was just making Bonnie feel worse.

By the time Mrs. Possible suggested that Kim show Bonnie her room, Bonnie was less than thrilled but very relieved. Having sat through Tara's interview as well, Kim wouldn't dare say anything else about herself in Bonnie's presence.

"Well, here we are," Kim announced, opening her bedroom door. "Lair of the enemy and all that. I'd say make yourself at home, but then you might tear down my posters or something."

Bonnie merely sat down in front of Kim's computer and frowned.

"So...why'd you freak when you thought I'd joined the army?" Kim asked suddenly.

For long moment, Bonnie didn't say anything. Finally, she sighed. "I thought you'd quit saving the world. Because of me, or Auntie."

"I could still do that in the army," Kim pointed out. "It'd just be...more restricted than what I'm used to."

"It wouldn't be the same. They only save the world from big threats." Bonnie lowered her head. "They wouldn't have cared about Auntie, or about me. You did. Even though I...I've been so..."

Kim looked very uncomfortable. "I hope you're just pausing, instead of waiting for me to finish that thought. We've made it this far tonight without anyone getting their feelings hurt."

"Why don't you hate me?" Bonnie blurted out.

Kim actually looked amused. "Well, let's see. You didn't run over my dog, shoot my brothers, or threaten to nuke Middleton. About the worst you've ever done is capitalized on a bad day with a few harsh words. On a typical day for me, Bonnie, your words probably hurt the least. Now, if you genetically engineered a land-walking shark that ate innocent people just because you could, then I might hate you. But right now, you're so not a threat. You're...annoying, and sometimes I wish you'd either not talk or target someone else, but you're normal and safe. I'd rather get in a fight with you than some nut job with a bomb on his chest. At least with you the hurt's limited to the two of us."

"So you don't hate me, because I don't matter to you?" Bonnie asked angrily.

Kim laughed. "Bonnie, you're not listening. After I've spent all week battling evil, only to come home and have you tease me for being late for cheer practice, you're a relief. I can't hate you, because I love having you around. You're a break from evil. You're...plain mean, but not evil. I save my hatred for evil people. You care about...some people, you feel remorse, and on top of all that, you have Tara for a girlfriend. That last one alone technically makes you good automatically in my book."

"Tonight was her idea, you know."

Kim smirked. "I figured that when you failed to unleash the master plan that would embarrass me in front of my family. Also when you passed the peas without complaint. So what brings you two here, anyway?"

"I need to tell you something," Bonnie muttered, looking more uncomfortable by the second.

"Okay," Kim said agreeably enough.

"Auntie was from the future, you know."

Kim blinked, but not in a way that held too much surprise. "The thought crossed my mind a few times."

Bonnie wasn't sure if she'd expected Kim to be surprised or not, so she let it go. "She told me...all sorts of things. What I should and shouldn't do, who I should and shouldn't associate with."

"Just out of curiosity, which list was I on?" Kim asked.

Bonnie glowered at her. "Like you don't know."

"I have a guess," Kim replied, shrugging innocently.

"Auntie died...to save my life. But she said the rest of my life...was in your hands."

Kim stared at her blankly. "I'm not really following you."

"There's too much I'm not really allowed to tell you. But if I want to be...the person Auntie wanted me to be, then...I have to...be your..."

"Friend?" Kim hazarded.

Bonnie sighed loudly. "Yes..."

"So...Tara set up this little playdate, in the hopes that we would just magically stop not liking each other?"

"No, she's not that naive. She thought it would be a good idea if I apologized to you. For being...well, me."

Kim shook her head. "Bonnie, you can't apologize for being you. That's like saying you're sorry that you were born with brown hair. And besides, the you I talk to daily isn't really...you. You can't possibly talk to Tara the same way."

"That's different. She's..."

"Someone you like," Kim supplied. "Someone you love."

Bonnie turned bright red.

"Well, it's nothing we can't work with. What is it, exactly, that you don't like about me?" Kim asked, visibly bracing herself.

"You're so...perfect!"

"Oh, is that all?" Kim went to her door and stuck her head out. "Hey, tweebs! Get in here and tell Bonnie how NOT perfect I am!"

Bonnie stared at her. "What are you...?"

"You should get comfortable," Kim suggested. "Their slideshow alone is about an hour and a half. And then there's the home movies, charts and graphs, the mathematical proof that I'm supposedly so hideous I can defy the very laws of space and time." Noticing Bonnie's expression, she added, "Well, it was the only way they could explain me confiscating their last three inventions seconds before they had a chance to mysteriously explode."

* * *

About three hours later, Bonnie came downstairs, took one look at Kim, and said, "Gross."

"Make me seem a lot more human, don't they?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, inhuman," Bonnie replied.

"But not perfect, right?"

"Definitely."

"So there's no reason why you can't start liking her?" Tara asked.

Bonnie froze. "What, right now?"

Kim nodded. "You don't even have to apologize. Just give me a big hug and we'll start over with a clean slate."

Bonnie looked at Kim as if she'd grown a second head. "Why?"

"I haven't yet met a person who can hug someone they don't like without flinching. If you can hug me for ten seconds without freaking out, we'll consider tonight a success. Otherwise, we can try this again next week...and the week after that. And so on, until you can admit publicly that we're friends with a perfectly genuine smile."

"Now I have to tell people, too?" Bonnie asked.

"That we're friends," Kim added. "Not that we hugged."

"Just pretend it's me you're hugging," Tara suggested.

"I am NOT," Bonnie snapped, "going to do that."

"Is there anyone else you wouldn't mind hugging?" Kim asked.

"Just...Auntie," Bonnie said softly.

Kim gently touched Bonnie's shoulder. "What would she say about this?"

"She'd tell me to get over myself and hug you."

"Even if she was from the future, you're still free to make your own choices. You have to decide how much you're going to listen to her."

"That's just it, Kim. If I want to keep that freedom, I have to do what she told me. That's what she really wanted for me: the right to choose my own fate. I'd do anything to protect that right."

"Well, hugging me isn't that unreasonable, is it?" Kim asked.

"No. Just...weird," Bonnie muttered.

"Because you just watched the tweebs' slideshow, I'm going to ignore that. And if you just have to be mean, at least be sarcastic. That could still be mistaken for friendly meanness."

"Fine. I'm reeeally looking forward to this hug," Bonnie replied with a smirk.

Kim rolled her eyes. "I can tell by the way you keep stalling. Maybe I should just hug you instead."

"What's the difference?"

"I don't know. That we might actually get this done today?"

"Good point." Bonnie held out her arms and stepped closer to Kim. "Just...don't make any sudden moves or anything."

"I promise I'll try not to enjoy myself too much," Kim sighed dramatically.

Bonnie carefully slipped her arms around Kim. "Ten seconds, right?"

Kim shot her a glare. "One, two, thr-"

"Hey, I was holding you before you started counting!" Bonnie insisted.

"FIVE, SIX, SEV-"

There was a bright flash, and both girls turned to see Ron holding a camera.

"Ron!" Kim cried.

"What?" Ron asked.

"I want no evidence of this moment!" Bonnie snapped.

Ron looked confused. "I'm sorry, I thought we were blackmailing her into being your friend?"

Tara snatched the camera from him. "No, they're supposed to actually BE friends!"

Ron laughed. "Um, in what world? It took them twenty minutes to do a seven second hug."

"So we need practice," Bonnie muttered.

"More like you need tranquilizers and muzzles. In fact, maybe I should just give Professor Dementor a call. Bet he still has that old Bond-O Ball lying around."

"I am NEVER being stuck to anyone EVER again!" Bonnie swore. "And if you think for one second I'd-"

"Actually, Bonnie," Kim interrupted, "I did gain a better appreciation of you as a person when we were...stuck. Maybe spending time together is a good place to start. Say...a sleepover? Tonight?"

Bonnie narrowed her eyes. "Did you plan this?"

"No, but if we're going to be friends, you'll actually have to trust me at some point. Besides, why would I plan to have you spend the night in my house when we weren't friends?"

"I don't suppose there's room for one more?" Ron asked.

Kim smiled. "I'm sure we can find some space for Tara."

"Actually, I was thinking maybe I could-"

"I'm not really big on sleepovers with boys," Bonnie pointed out.

Ron looked crushed. "Can't we take a vote?"

"Stoppable, go home. It's not like you won't be here tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after that."

"Will there be sleepovers on those days, too?" Ron asked hopefully.

"If so, they'll all be girls only," Bonnie answered firmly. "Anyway, you're already Kim's friend. So quit showing off."

"Hey, Kim's friends are my friends, too! And we just discussed how close contact brings people closer emotionally!"

"I have to be her friend, not yours," Bonnie clarified.

"But we're a package deal!" Ron insisted. "Right, KP?"

Kim smiled. "Yes, but you're still not staying. Bonnie isn't used to being friendly with us yet. Baby steps, Ron. We don't want to scare her away."

"And being locked in a dark house with him would definitely creep me out," Bonnie chimed in, shivering a bit for effect.

Tara shook her head. "You know Ron is harmless."

Bonnie shot her an unrepentant look. "Then let him be harmless in his own house."

"Sorry, Ron," Tara apologized. "Maybe another time."

"You know, if I was having a sleepover, I'd never discriminate against girls!" Ron shouted as he headed for the door.

Bonnie snorted. "Of course he wouldn't. What guy has a sleepover just so he can hang out with other guys? The whole point is to get girls to come."

Kim chuckled softly. "Um, for future reference, Ron isn't your typical guy. If he has a sleepover, it's actually intended to be good, clean fun. No ulterior motives at all."

Bonnie blinked in disbelief. "Then what's the point?"

Kim stared at her. "To have fun?"

Bonnie's eyes lit up in realization. "Oh, wait. He's never even had a girl sleepover at his house, has he?"

Kim coughed, though it sounded distinctly like a confession.

"Just you, right? I should've known."

"Bonnie, it may shock you to hear this, but popularity is not a determining factor of decency. Neither is how many different dates you can rack up. And if you need proof of that, think about how many guys you've gone out with, and then think about how any of them compare to what you have with Tara."

Tara sighed at the way Bonnie's face fell. "Maybe Ron had a point. If this is friendly for you two, I think we're going to need helmets and padding for this friendship..."

* * *

Next Chapter: The Less Traveled Path

It's Bonnie's 21st birthday, and Auntie B's strange gift is only the first of many signs that the future repeats itself. But how will Kim react when Bonita advises her to flee to the moon with her family, rather than stand up to Shego?


	8. The Less Traveled Path

Chapter 8: The Less Traveled Path

There was a time when the only things Monique had in common with Bonnie Rockwaller were an undeniable flare for fashion and a love for all things Club Banana. They had never really gotten along so much as coexisted with as few words as possible exchanged, and that was mostly Bonnie's choice.

At least, it had been, until Bonnie had suddenly switched sides and become one of Kim Possible's most constant companions. This was perhaps the best choice of phrase, because it would've been a bit of a stretch to call them friends, exactly. Bonnie was known far and wide for her sharp tongue, and regular exposure to Kim hadn't dulled it in the least. However, Bonnie at least made an effort to be civil in Kim's presence, and even if that only meant being mildly sarcastic and irritating as opposed to being greatly so, everyone in Kim's circle found it to be a vast improvement.

The fact remained that Bonnie was still very much the same person she'd always been, and so Monique found it hard to let her guard down completely around Bonnie. For Kim's sake, though, they both gave off the general appearance of being largely comfortable with each other.

All of which meant that when Bonnie's 21st birthday rolled around, Monique was one of a small group of close friends invited to drag Bonnie (complaining all the way) to Bueno Nacho, where a Mijo Meal and a "cake" composed largely of beef, salsa, and six kinds of cheese awaited her. Bonnie had made a vow that she would never set foot in the place again, ever since Ron had squirted Diablo sauce on her favorite blue skirt by accident, but Kim had talked her into birthdays and lesser holidays.

After Monique and Ron competed in a burrito-eating contest to Bonnie's horror and everyone else's amusement, the presents were given. Monique had no visible gift, since she and Bonnie had fallen into a routine of arranging shopping sprees the day before their respective birthdays. Somehow, it was easier to stand each other when no one else was watching. Personally, Monique thought Bonnie was very restrained when she discovered that Ron had given her a pink t-shirt that proclaimed in silver glitter, "Lesbians R Hot." Tara, however, promised Ron that one of them would wear it the next time they made love. The look on Ron's face was revenge enough for Bonnie.

Tara and Bonnie had never really gone public with their relationship, but it was generally obvious to anyone who watched them for more than ten minutes that they were in love. Tara was the only one that could soothe Bonnie when she was really angry, though Kim had been known to argue with Bonnie for so long on occasion that they wore each other out. Tara was also openly affectionate, where Bonnie simply seemed to tolerate it, but then she rarely held her tongue if she didn't like something. Bonnie's rare acts of kindness were almost always directed at Tara, although these began to include Kim over time.

Even though Monique had once had her doubts about Bonnie's intentions, she was finally getting used to the idea that Kim and Bonnie had moved beyond any serious issues they'd had in the past. Bonnie had gotten over the passing of her aunt, and no longer blamed Kim for her involvement.

Of course, Monique had no idea that in a sense, Bonnie's aunt was far from dead.

* * *

"I don't see why I have to wait outside," Kim complained.

"I do, too," Tara pointed out. "And I'm the girlfriend. Just wait."

Kim started to say something, but fell silent as a neon green light flashed underneath the door and faded quickly. "What was that?"

"The reason we had to wait outside," Tara replied, opening the door after a moment's hesitation.

Kim wasn't sure what to expect as she followed Tara into Bonnie's bedroom. She certainly didn't expect to see Bonita staring at her with a welcoming smile. But it only took Kim a few seconds to realize she was looking at some sort of hologram. It didn't escape her notice that Bonita was preserved in the familiar green and black uniform, either.

"Hello again, Kim. That you're here must mean that Bonnie isn't as stubborn as I was at that age."

"She's definitely improved, if not new," Kim agreed. "So...is there a reason you three decided to let me in on this little secret?"

Bonita nodded. "Of course. You need to be here when I give Bonnie her birthday present. It concerns you, and both your immediate futures as well."

"I don't know if I like the sound of that," Kim murmured.

"You're wise to be wary. It's not all good news, and you definitely won't care for part of it."

A small compartment extended from the platform beneath Bonita's feet.

"Bonnie, pick up the remote and point it at any wall. Oh, and you might want to back up a bit first."

Bonnie bent down and removed a small, black remote from the compartment. There was only one button on it, so she aimed the remote at the far wall and clicked.

Kim's eyes widened as a bright blue tunnel popped into existence right in front of them. "Hey, isn't that-"

"Yes, Kim. It's a dimensional doorway. Or, as we've started calling them in my time, a Flanhole. At least, that's what we call the ones specifically invented by-"

"Justine Flanner," Kim supplied with a smirk. "Bet she got rich off of those things."

"No, but she should've. She refused to sell her ideas to Shego, and was promptly jailed for it. Of course, she escaped through a Flanhole, and hasn't been seen since. Flanholes have been illegal ever since."

"But you have one," Kim couldn't help but point out.

Bonita smiled. "Well, technically, they're not illegal at this point in time. I was a fan, and Justine learned to appreciate her fans. The ones who didn't try to get her arrested, anyway." She flicked her gaze over to the portal. "Oh, here they come now. Stand back, everyone."

"They?" Bonnie asked. "Who is-"

Bonnie's question was interrupted by the arrival of two panting versions of herself, clad in Kim's usual mission clothes and matching black collars. At once, the two Bonnies fell to all fours, their unusually long tongues wagging as they scanned the room. The instant they spotted Bonnie, their faces lit up and they began barking excitedly.

Bonnie let out a little shriek and scrambled onto the bed, only to have the two canine-like Bonnies follow her, where they eagerly began to lick her face.

Kim was so startled by the sight that she almost didn't notice the portal's next two arrivals. Like the first two, they looked almost exactly like Bonnie dressed in Kim's mission clothes. These latter two, however, walked a bit stiffly and were both wearing bright red running shoes. Both pursed their lips, as if whistling, but produced no sound that Kim could hear. Despite that, the two canine Bonnies instantly backed off and crouched on the floor, staring straight ahead.

"Okay, I think an explanation is in order," Kim said after a moment, making a face as Bonnie sat up with drool running down her cheeks.

"Not before I get a towel," Bonnie muttered.

The words were barely out of her mouth when one of the stiff Bonnies vanished, and almost instantly reappeared, holding out a towel. "Your towel, Bonnie Prime," she said in a robotic tone.

Still very unnerved, Bonnie made no move to take the towel, so Tara accepted it for her and began to dab at Bonnie's cheeks.

"Aren't they adorable?" Bonita asked, beaming.

"That's not the word I was thinking of," Kim murmured. "Um...I know the answer should be obvious, but...who are they?"

The two standing Bonnies saluted at once. "Bonnie Squad 52-D reporting for duty, Kim Prime!"

"Why do they keep adding 'Prime' to the end of everything they say?" Tara asked.

Bonita shook her head. "Not everything. It's just how they address the original Bonnie...and Kim. EVERY original Bonnie and Kim."

Kim frowned. "Original?"

"Virtually every Bonnie and Kim born through natural means before their production date is a Prime to them."

"But...shouldn't it just be us?"

Bonita chuckled. "It would be...if this were the only time they'd traveled to."

"Then where do they come from?" Bonnie asked.

"I don't exactly know," Bonita admitted.

"I do," Kim answered, staring at the crouching Bonnies. "Those two are definitely clones. Drakken's clones. A little soda, and they-"

"That won't work," Bonita interrupted. "Not anymore. And trust me, you'll want them around later on. Anyway, the other two are robots."

Tara looked confused. "How do you know that if you don't know where they came from?"

Bonita smiled patiently. "If you want a location or time, I don't know. I suspect they came from wherever Justine Flanner escaped to. At the time, she had a partner: Dr. Vivian Porter, who designed the androids. Somehow they manipulated Flanholes to stretch across time, not just dimensions. But if you're really curious, just ask them. They can speak for themselves. Well, two of them can."

Kim pointed to the standing Bonnie that had retrieved the towel. "You. Where do you come from?"

"This squad was deployed from BS Homebase approximately three years ago, Kim Prime," the android replied. "However, current location of Homebase is unknown."

"So even they don't know?" Kim asked, sounding suspicious.

"You have to remember, Kim, Flanner's technology was illegal and in high demand," Bonita reminded her. "It's very likely that she was prepared to move her entire operation at a moment's notice. If she couldn't, the only way to keep her troops from revealing the location was to keep them from knowing where it was themselves."

"If they're Justine's troops, then why do they all look like Bonnie?"

"You were partially right when you guessed they were Drakken's clones. In fact, I was the one who recovered the two surviving clones that spawned the rest. One was a Bonnie, the other was a Kim. They had to be improved, and luckily enough, I had some canine DNA borrowed from DNAmy. The androids had to look just like the clones, because they'll only obey people who look like their namesakes."

"Wait. You mean there's a bunch of drooling clones of me running around out there, too?" Kim demanded.

Bonita shrugged. "They can't help the drooling, it's the dog DNA. But probably, I haven't actually seen any."

One of the Bonnie androids snapped to attention. "This squad was last in contact with KP Corps 15-A only ten hours ago."

Kim suddenly seemed very tired. "So why aren't they here, too?"

The android paused and traded a glance with its twin. "We go only where we are summoned, Kim Prime. Their orders must have differed from ours."

"Um...not that I'm not...thrilled about all this," Bonnie said slowly, "but...why are they here?"

"Protection," Bonita replied. "It's going to get very dangerous very soon, and you'll need the help. The androids can move faster than you can blink, and the others make good guard dogs."

Instinctively, Bonnie almost found herself protesting that statement. But then she turned her head and found both canine Bonnies rolling on the floor with their tongues hanging out as Tara rubbed their bellies.

"Are you implying that I can't protect my friends?" Kim asked abruptly.

Bonnie's head whipped around, her eyes widening as she took in the scowl on Kim's face. She wasn't sure what surprised her more: that Kim wanted to protect her, or that she'd finally acknowledged Bonnie as a friend. Before, Kim had always introduced Bonnie as a "classmate" or "friend of the family" (which basically only meant the Doctors Possible liked her).

Bonita seemed pleased with the new distinction as well. "No, Kim. I'm saying you're not ready to deal with what's coming...yet. But you will be, in time...that is, you will if you take my advice."

"I'm listening," Kim said, but she still looked a bit insulted, as if Bonita had just called her inadequate.

"Sometime next month, you're going to start hearing big things about a healthy snack company called Banana-Fanna Foods."

It took a moment, but Kim's mind clicked. "NO!"

"Afraid so," Bonita chuckled. "And no, you can't do anything about it, since it's totally legit for the moment. I've got a list of companies that are going to be doing very, very well, only to suddenly shut down for no apparent reason. This will go on for a couple of years, until-"

"Shego gets rich," Kim supplied angrily.

"In a manner of speaking, yes. The next time you actually see her, she's going to be much, much stronger, in every sense of the word. Too strong for you to handle, in fact. For anyone to handle, really. Which is why I want all of you to go to the moon."

"What?" Kim asked blankly.

"It's the one place Shego won't bother to take over. You'll be safe, and you'll have more time to get ready."

"To do what?" Bonnie asked.

"To beat Shego, of course. It's not a vacation, it's a sanctuary where you can get stronger. Both of you."

"I don't fight," Bonnie said at once.

"Tell them that," Bonita replied smugly, nodding at the androids.

"Well then, let THEM fight!" Bonnie snapped.

"They will, when YOU lead them into battle."

"I am NOT-"

Bonita ignored her. "Kim, you'll want to start dropping hints. Tell your father you've been wondering what it would be like to live on the moon."

Kim blinked. "Why?"

"He's your ticket. Did you forget what his job is?"

"Of course not. Dad's a little absentminded from time to time, but don't you think he's going to be suspicious if I suddenly express interest in living on the moon?"

"No, actually," Bonita answered. "He's wondered the same thing himself. At the moment, he just doesn't think enough people would be interested. But once Shego starts conquering, and he has his family's safety to consider, all he'll need is that little extra push to get the ball rolling. Trust me, you don't want anyone you care about to be here when Shego comes to town, unless they're specifically intending to oppose her in some way, and also capable of doing it. Your brothers and Wade, for example."

Kim shook her head. "This is all just a little too nuts for me."

"She knows what she's talking about, Kim," Tara said softly. "She knew what would happen to Josh."

Some of the color seemed to drain out of Kim's face. "What?"

"I told you she was from the future," Bonnie reminded her.

Bonita shook her head. "What more proof do you need, Kim? The hyper-evolved Bonnie clones? The androids? The unknown content of Bonnie's blood? Or do you actually intend to sit here and wait on Shego to blast in your front door?"

"It'd make all this a lot more believable, at least," Kim muttered.

Bonita sighed. "Girls, leave the room, please. I need some time alone with Kim."

Kim stiffened at once. "Why? So you can brainwash me somehow?"

Bonita rolled her eyes. "I'm just memories in a box, Kim. The worst I could do is tell you something you didn't want to hear, and I've already done that."

"We'll just be downstairs," Tara said. "Bonnie?"

"Um, right." Bonnie hesitated at the door. "Uh...follow me?"

The canine Bonnies instantly bounded after her, followed by the androids and Tara, who closed the door behind her.

"Trying to convince people I'm right is always hard, you know," Bonita explained. "And for the sake of the time stream, I can only give away so much without completely unraveling their lives in front of them. But I know you, Kim, and I know you're stubborn enough to actually stay here, and if you do, it'll be way too late to stop Shego. So I'm going to tell you something I've never told Bonnie or Tara, and I hope I can trust you not to tell them, either. It would only scare and worry them, and I don't want that."

"So you're going to try to scare and worry me?" Kim asked.

"No. I'm going to tell you exactly why the moon is the only way you'll ever beat the Shego that's going to come after you. But you need to understand that I wouldn't be here, in this time, without her resources. As much as I owe her, I know having her rule the world isn't the best possible outcome for all of you, Bonnie in particular."

Kim frowned. "Okay, so let's hear it. What do you think could possibly make me change my mind about all this?"

"Think about the Shego that you know, Kim. Is she smart? Determined? Greedy? Manipulative?"

"Of course."

"Knowing all of that, do you really think she'd be satisfied working for Drakken forever? That she wouldn't turn on him, if the right opportunity presented itself? That she wouldn't only be concerned about her needs and wants above anyone else's?"

"I already know that. What's your point?"

"How do you think Shego is going to know what companies to start, when to buy and when to sell, when to get out before the market goes down for good? How do you think she's going to know exactly what moves to make, in order to gain as much power as she can?"

"Like you said, she's smart."

Bonita sighed. "Kim, being smart is one thing. What you're suggesting is bordering on psychic. Shego is one day going to have the means to freely enter the time stream, and emerge at whatever point she chooses. If she really wanted to, she could appear here right now, and take you out without breaking a sweat. But there's part of her that wants you to try and stop her, so she won't. That doesn't mean she's going to play by the rules the whole way through. Think about what I just told you. Who would want Shego to rule the world? Who would be willing to do for her what I've done for Bonnie?"

Kim stared at her for a few seconds, and then her eyes widened. "You can't mean..."

Bonita nodded. "I do."

"But...the only person who would ever help Shego that much is..."

"Is Shego herself. Bonnie isn't the only one with an Auntie, Kim. The only difference is that Shego's future self is teaching her how to take over the world. I'm trying to show you and Bonnie how to save it."

"But if Shego would do that, then why wouldn't I? Why isn't there some future version of me warning us instead?"

"From what I've seen, you're usually not around when Shego takes over. Which means that either she did something to temporarily take you out of the picture, or..."

"I took your advice after all?"

"See how nice that works out?" Bonita asked.

"What if YOU'RE how she takes me out of the picture?"

Bonita laughed. "If you really think I'm not trying to help you, ask your mother to take a look at your own blood content sometime. And then have her compare it to Bonnie's."

* * *

"This is really, really weird," Bonnie muttered for the third time.

"Well, I think they're cute," Tara replied firmly.

"Of course you do. If you didn't, it'd be like taking a shot at me."

"Bonnie, just because they look a little like you doesn't mean I can't tell the difference. I mean, I'm never going to mistake one of them for you. They don't like walking upright, they're always panting, and they're always going to have dog breath. That's hardly the way I think of you."

"Well, SOMEONE thought of me that way. Why else would they be called Bonnie Rottweilers?"

"It's a good name. What else would you call them, St. Bonnies?"

"This isn't something I want to discuss, Tara."

Sighing, Tara took Bonnie's hands in her own. "You really have to stop this, Bonnie. They're here to help, so let them do their job. The only possible impact they could have on my perception of you is that I get to see more of you everyday, and that's hardly a bad thing."

"But-"

"Hey." Tara drew Bonnie closer and kissed her nose. "I love you. I'm supposed to see you everywhere I look, aren't I?"

"Stop that," Bonnie muttered. "You can't smooch me out of this."

"It's either you or one of the Bonnie bots," Tara reasoned. "And I prefer the real thing myself, even if they're both a little stiff at times."

"I am NOT-"

"Prove it," Tara said, nuzzling Bonnie's neck. "Stop thinking about our nice new dogs and androids, and start telling me how glad you are that their being here means we get to be together a whole lot longer. And on the moon, no less. Tell me you're excited that Auntie's made sure we have a future together." She pulled back a bit and brushed her lips lightly over Bonnie's. "Tell me I still make you happy."

"You know you do," Bonnie murmured, hugging her tightly. "And you know how I feel about...saying things like that."

"No one's going to hear but me, and I need to hear it." Tara grinned a bit. "Besides, I won't tell anyone."

Bonnie closed her eyes. "Tara, Auntie didn't see a future for us. She lost her Tara, remember? That's what worries me. There's no way she could prepare for you to be in my life this long. I could lose you, and she'd never be able to tell me when or how to stop it."

"Why would you be afraid of losing me?" Tara asked.

"Because...I love you, Tara. I can't lose you again. It would hurt too much."

"Well, here's a crazy idea." Tara cupped Bonnie's face in her hands. "Show me and tell me that you love me while you still have me. I don't have any plans to leave you, and so long as you don't give me a reason to, I'll never do it voluntarily. But if you want to keep me here, you have to work at it, too, Bonnie. I know you love me, but I still like to hear you say it every now and then. Because I know you don't like saying it, and the fact that you would, for me, means so much to me. It's things like that that make me want to stay with you. That, and the cute little way you grunt in your sleep."

Bonnie scowled at her.

Tara smiled. "What? I said it was cute."

* * *

Next Chapter: Lunar Reflections

Bonnie's thoughts on her temporary new home.


	9. Lunar Reflections

Notes: As I intended for it to be a diary entry of sorts, this chapter will be short and sweet.

Chapter 9: Lunar Reflections

It's funny, the things you take for granted without even realizing. So many people in Middleton don't realize what a privilege it is just to wake up, climb out of bed, and walk out to get the morning paper.

At least, they didn't before Shego came.

The scary thing is, sometimes we could actually see the green explosions from all the way up here. Auntie says it's just Shego showing off rather than doing anything really damaging, but it's not all that reassuring. At least the big ones stopped pretty quickly, but that could just mean people gave up without much of a fight.

If I were alone up here, I'd actually be a lot more scared than I am now. As it is, I see the Possibles, Stoppables, and Tara every day. You might think that makes up for my own family deciding to stay on Earth, but you'd be wrong: it more than makes up for it. They weren't the only ones, either. Wade and Monique chose to stay behind, too. Kim says if there's ever going to be an underground resistance network, they'd need Wade and his tech skills to stay alive. Of course, Kim says a lot of things, and if you believe Auntie (which I do), not all of them are true. Mostly she only lies in order not to frighten people close to her, which I can respect. I'm not too crazy about when she lies to me, but I guess it's her way of showing she cares about me. And, strangely enough, I think I'm starting to be okay with that.

It wasn't all sunshine and lollipops when we first got here, though. It took Kim three months to get over the fact that Auntie had "poisoned" her. Specifically, that jellyfish toxin acts like some kind of symbiote. Once it's in your bloodstream, it never leaves. At first we thought it only worked for us girls, but then Ron seized up three times in one day, and we figured out that Rufus was doing it accidentally. I'm not sure how he does it, since he doesn't really have any hair to speak of. Auntie thinks he grows temporary quills or something...don't ask. It doesn't work at all for Ron, but Auntie never did say why that was...

But as I said, Kim got over that, once she grudgingly admitted that having her hair double as a stun gun was pretty useful. She tricked me into several games of trying to see who could stun the other first. It was a whole month before I realized she was trying to get me into fighting shape, and by then I'd gotten too good to just stop...plus it was really fun the times I did win. We don't let Rufus play anymore; he's too small, too fast, and extremely hard to hit. Kim's got the best aim, and even she's never tagged him.

I'm not the only one keeping busy, either. Tara's studying to be a veterinarian. I think it's so she can take better care of our "dogs," but she won't admit it. Coincidentally enough, the Bonnie bots are also animal experts. Apparently Dr. Porter really knew what she was doing when she designed them. They've been teaching Tara in shifts, but it's hard to measure her progress, considering how long the days are here. That, and she only has so many patients to practice on. Fortunately, the dogs love her almost as much as I do, and Rufus, like his owner, is easily persuaded with promises of cheese.

Speaking of food, Mama Possible has all her "kids" on a strict diet. It's actually a lot of things I already ate, just in slightly bigger quantities. Naturally, Kim had no problem following it, but I later found out that was because it was really HER usual diet. It's bad enough they make us dress like her when we're working out, and now we have to eat like her, too. I swear if I spot even one red hair on my head, I'm going to scream. Anyway, the diet works well with all the exercise we do. I'm proud to say the only one that had trouble after the first month was Ron. Kim even gave me a pat on the back and said she was proud of me, too. In the past, I would've snapped at her for that, but instead I managed an uneasy smile, since I could tell she really meant it.

And if you think that's sick and wrong, wait until you hear this. The Possibles are really big on kissing each other, which I already knew. The other night after dinner, I was trying to talk Kim out of dragging me on another one of her early morning jogs. She wasn't listening, of course. Anyway, we're passing Mama Possible in the hall, and Kim turns her face up for a kiss without even breaking her stride, which threw me off. So I'm hurrying to catch up with her, only to get ambushed by a kiss on the top of my head. It takes me about three seconds to realize what just happened, and I slowly turn around to ask Mama Possible if maybe she thought I was Ron or something. That, apparently, was her cue to say, "Oh, I'm sorry, Bonnie. Did you want a hug, too?" And the next thing I know, I'm getting hugged, and then kissed AGAIN. The whole experience rattled me quite a bit, and I immediately ran to Kim's room to demand an explanation as to why people were suddenly being so affectionate to me. I mean, I didn't want Ron trying to kiss me next.

"Oh, that," was Kim's reply. "Well, you're family now, Bonnie." And then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she came over and kissed me in the exact same spot. I accused her of doing it just to freak me out, and she happily replied that was merely a bonus.

But now that it's started, I can't get them to stop. I tried complaining to Tara, but she only got mad that SHE wasn't getting kissed, and they didn't want her feeling left out, so now the only one not getting regular kisses is Rufus, and I'm pretty sure Ron would do it if the mood was right.

The thing is, I don't really mind the kissing so much anymore. When you've grown up with years of my mother's sloppy kisses, relatively dry ones are all too welcome. And Kim, thankfully, only does it when she's feeling extremely happy. Any more than that and I might have to call her on it...or have Tara call her on it.

Believe it or not, I'm talking to Auntie less and less. I've worked my way down from daily to once or twice a week. She doesn't seem to mind; in fact, she seems pleased that I'm fitting in with the Possibles so well. She's relaxed about the predictions, at least for now, and limits herself to just reminding me how much better my life is turning out compared to her own. If she's at all jealous, she's great at hiding it.

It's weird, but I'm starting to see why she wanted this for me so badly. I used to think that saving the world should be left up to people like Kim. But the more time I spend with her, the more I realize that I AM a lot like Kim. No one's made any official declarations, but it's clear to all of us that when the time comes to take on Shego, Kim and Ron are going to have a third partner. No one asked, and I didn't volunteer, but it's going to happen. Sure, I'm scared that I might mess up, or that Shego will just blast me into bits the moment our eyes meet, but I'm still going. As Auntie would say, it's my destiny, my future. It helps, knowing that the Bonnie bots and the dogs will be there, too. They don't say much, but I know they'd do anything for me, even give up their own lives. Even so, I don't want them to die, if only so they can go on to help some other version of me that needs them. It's not like Auntie can do it anymore.

Kim likes to be openly optimistic about our chances, Ron even more so. Me, I've never been so lucky as to seem so naive. I've always been more realistic about my life, especially when there was a good chance of it ending. Auntie was apparently of the same mind, because she was the one that finally convinced me to convince the others to each write up a will. Mr. Stoppable helped us with tricky parts, and he even promised me that he would personally make sure that Tara was taken care of "in the event of my passing." He said it so nicely that I almost forgot we were discussing my death.

I'm not the only one taking a good, long look at my life, though. Just last week, Kim dragged me out of bed and demanded, "What happens if only one of us doesn't make it?" I guess she'd assumed up to that point that we'd either all live or die together. So, as calmly as I could, I told her I'd make sure Ron didn't run off with the first Martian babe that showed a little leg. She stared at me, uncertain if she should laugh or be angry. Finally, she settled on asking, "What makes you think it'll be me?" I calmly explained that she, being foolishly heroic, would probably throw herself in the line of fire to save me, and then again so would Ron. However, Kim, being the more athletically blessed of the two, would get to me first, which would leave me and Ron alive but arguably heartbroken at the loss. Whatever my original intentions in telling her that, Kim took it another way entirely. She smiled and hugged me, whispering, "I love you, too," before going back to bed and leaving me replaying the conversation in my head for the rest of the night. For the life of me, I still can't figure out where she picked out that little impression. I guess people hear what they want to hear that early in the morning.

Auntie surprised me by saying she wouldn't go with us when the time came. She claims that she's told the Bonnie bots everything she would've told me about Shegoton, and that she'd rather keep Tara company, if either of them stared to miss me too bad. And Tara, who was never exactly thrilled about me going back to Earth in the first place, jumped at the chance to keep even a little piece of me with her. If I wasn't so worried that I might not come back, I might've been mad at her. Instead, I told her those three little words she always likes to hear, and promised I'd make her proud of me.

When the day comes, I'll have to go, ready or not. It's what we've been training and waiting for. Kim and Ron might be able to pull it off alone, but at least with the dogs and the Bonnie bots, they've got a better chance. And if all else fails, maybe I could distract Shego for just a few seconds, and do my part to save the world. If I die, I'll have died doing something worthwhile. If I live, maybe I'll be able to tell Auntie whether she was right about everything or not.

As the day draws closer, I find myself needing reassurance. Even though I've asked her over and over, I find myself going to Kim and asking the same question.

"Can you promise me we'll win?"

She smiles at me, always, a sad smile that I know she's shared with Ron for asking something similar in a tight spot.

"Nope. But I'll promise you this. If Shego is destined to beat us, she's going to have to earn it."

For some reason, I like that answer more and more every time I hear it.

* * *

Next Chapter: Speak Like A Child

Our heroes have come to defeat evil. But what they face at the end is neither evil nor able to be defeated.

_Endnotes: There are two more chapters. One which I planned, one which I didn't. I expected some lip about my manipulation of the time stream, so no surprise there. Maybe it's that I don't take criticism well, I don't know for sure. But rather than complain or lash out, I'll simply say this. I was going to end with Chapter 10. Then I got a certain review, and decided to start work on an Epilogue even while still writing Chapter 10. In short, Chapter 10 is basically how I wanted to end the series, with one or two exceptions that will be fully explained in the Epilogue. So if you're one of those people that thinks I've treated the time stream like a redheaded stepchild, well, stay clear of the Epilogue. As they say, that last step's a doozy. Although personally, I'm hoping that the end of Chapter 10 will leave you feeling so unsatisfied that you'll have no choice but to read the Epilogue. Because me and my sinister porpoises are evil that way._


	10. Speak Like A Child

Notes: Keep in mind that this is essentially the end of the series. The next chapter should be read as something of an afterword. Some of you might even be happier just stopping after this chapter. Just so long as you know that chapter was inspired initially out of anger. But that's what happens when certain readers try to educate me on something that's largely subjective anyway. But I won't name names.

Chapter 10: Speak Like A Child

"This is too easy," Bonnie complained.

"Shush," Kim muttered, sparing her a glance.

"But it is! Shouldn't there be some flying death rays, or-"

"SHH!" Ron hissed, flailing his arms at her. "You'll jinx us, and then the voice-activated flying death rays will hear you!"

Bonnie's eyes flashed angrily. "Don't you shush me!"

Ron sighed. "Oh, so Kim can shush you, but I can't?"

Bonnie shot him a look. "Kim can beat me in a fight. Can you?"

To that, Ron had no response, just as Bonnie had figured he wouldn't.

"It's not like me doing it is any more effective, obviously," Kim pointed out with a sigh. "Can we please focus on the fortress that is strangely not trying to stun or capture us?"

"So you admit I'm right, and this feels wrong!" Bonnie said at once.

Kim smiled patiently. "I shushed you, Bonnie, for the sake of keeping us quiet and unnoticed. I never said you were wrong. See the difference?" Kim patted Bonnie's arm soothingly, and then her smile faded almost instantly. "Now. SHUSH."

Bonnie scowled at Kim, but shot Ron a triumphant smirk behind her back.

Kim turned her attention back to the rather impressive looking fortress Shego had built for herself. Everything about it seemed to suggest that visitors were not at all welcome, from the large spikes jutting out of the walls at random, to the sickly green substance that circled the entire structure like a moat. Kim suspected it had started off as plasma, and was now something entirely different, but no less deadly.

Despite all that, there WERE no flying death rays, or seek-and-capture drones. More appropriately, they hadn't been activated. But deep down, Kim knew they HAD to be there. This was Shego, after all, and the only times she was ever caught off guard was when Kim went out of her way to do just that. And since the trio had pretty much just walked right up to the fortress, she could only assume that Shego had turned off the automated defenses...in order to let them walk right in.

It was completely unlike the Shego that Kim remembered as her archenemy, but then, so was the Bonnie she remembered going to school with. If Bonnie could change, so could Shego. Then again, Bonnie hadn't changed THAT much, and the same could be true of Shego. Just because some of the usual traps weren't in use didn't mean it was safe to just stroll on in like they owned the place. Shego could very well take it personally.

"So are we going in?" Bonnie whispered.

Kim bit her lip thoughtfully. "Not until we find out how right you are about the traps. We'd better have the bots take a look."

Bonnie nodded, then coughed quietly, and jumped a bit as one of the Bonnie bots instantly appeared at her side. "God!" she hissed, trying to catch her breath. "Try some footsteps every now and then!"

"We are programmed for stealth, Bonnie Prime," the android replied by way of apology.

"Can you see anything around the fortress?" Kim asked. "Traps, hidden defenses, an abundance of monkeys?"

The Bonnie bot stared intently at the building. "All defense systems seem to be down, Kim Prime. It is relatively safe to proceed."

"How come that doesn't sound reassuring at all?" Ron asked.

"For once, I'm with him," Bonnie added. "What does that mean?"

The Bonnie bot shrugged. "It's Shego, Bonnie Prime," she said simply.

"Good point," Kim replied. "Keep the squad out of sight, but stay close in case we need you. Have the dogs stand guard on the perimeter. We don't want any uninvited guests."

"Yes, Kim Prime," the android replied before she vanished again.

"Why can't I be a Prime?" Ron complained.

"You are," Bonnie pointed out. "You're just not important enough."

Kim shot her a nasty look. "You're not included in their programming, Ron. You probably didn't make a lasting impression on Dr. Porter. You did basically say it was impossible for her to be genius babe."

"I think she DID remember," Bonnie chuckled. "You should be glad the Bonnie bots don't know you, Ron. They'd probably have orders to pummel you on sight."

"Hey, how about we save the insults for the evil lady in the fortress?" Ron demanded.

Kim cleared her throat loudly. "Bonnie, be nice or be quiet. Ron, ignore her. We ARE in mission mode, people. Now quit bickering so we can save the world. I kind of have a track record at this, and I'd like to keep the loss column empty, if you don't mind."

* * *

For the first ten minutes, she had merely ignored the insistent beeping of the console behind her.

After that, though, patience gave way to caution, and caution to curiosity. She never had liked being kept in suspense.

The woman released a deep breath as she ended her meditation routine, finally giving the console her full attention. "Locate intruders."

Almost instantly, the system reported back with, "Intruders found. Identifying. Designates: Kimmie and Sidekick found. Unknown third intruder. Requesting Designate."

Frowning deeply, the woman murmured, "Designate: Bonita."

"Error. Designate: Bonita detected in multiple locations."

"Interesting. What are you planning, Kimmie...?" She thought for a moment, then grinned. "Guess respecting your elders isn't completely useless."

* * *

"Well, maybe it's just me, but this seems like it would make a great throne room," Ron commented. "All it would really need is, um..."

"A throne?" Bonnie deadpanned.

Kim scanned the cavernous room, unable to dismiss Ron's initial assessment. She could easily picture Shego lording it up on a throne, positioned on the currently empty raised platform. But the throne was just another of the many things Kim expected to see, but didn't. Shego hadn't stopped surprising them since they'd first spotted the fortress.

"Maybe we caught her on moving day," Ron suggested. "She's relocating to a new lair, and they just cut the power off in here."

Bonnie shook her head. "You saw how huge this place was from the outside. If Shego were going to move, don't you think it'd be to somewhere even bigger?"

"How do YOU know?" Ron asked.

Bonnie paused, a little startled. "Well, I would never move into a smaller place if I ran the world. I wouldn't even do that NOW."

"So are we assuming that Shego is spoiled rotten now?" Ron asked Kim.

"HEY!"

"What? She's rich and powerful now, she can afford to be spoiled."

"Whatever she is," Kim interrupted, "she's here. We're in the right place."

"Please don't tell me you figured that out because Bonnie's right," Ron begged. "We'll never hear the end of it if she is."

"She is, Ron. But that's not how I know. What's the one thing Shego does almost every time I see her?"

"Steals something? Wears that same outfit? Uses hurtful sarcasm?"

Kim rolled her eyes. "What's the one thing she always does to ME?"

Ron looked clueless. "Annoys you with hurtful sarcasm?" he guessed.

"She fights me. And she can't exactly do that if she's not where I am, can she?"

"Not unless she has androids, too," Bonnie noted, drawing worried looks from Kim and Ron. "What? Someone has to be realistic around here!"

"Okay, I vote she doesn't come on any more missions," Ron decided. "How can I keep morale up with well-timed humor if she's keeping everyone freaked out and bummed?"

"That's assuming you all survive THIS mission, Stoppable."

The voice seemed to come from everywhere at once, but Kim was the first to spot the dark figure staring down at them from an opening just below the ceiling.

"So now you've sunk to killing to get what you want, Shego?"

"Hardly, Kimmie. But in your case, I've always made exceptions, haven't I? But then, no one else got in my way as much as you did. And no one else could stop me. So I like to think I'm justified when I say one of us won't be walking away from this fight. If it makes you feel any better, I'll take out your friends now so you don't have to worry about them."

Something like regret flashed across Kim's face. "You've changed, Shego, and not for the better."

"You can judge me after you beat me, Kimmie. Not that it'll happen, but I want you to have something to look forward to. Can't have you giving me less than your all, can we?"

"This doesn't feel right, KP," Ron muttered.

Kim ignored him. "Fine. But leave Ron and Bonnie out of it. This is between us."

"They're safe for now," Shego replied. "But the moment they interfere, with our fight or my plans, anything I do to them is their own fault."

"No way!" Bonnie shouted. "You said we were a team, Kim!"

Kim wouldn't look at her. "We also fight fair, and there's nobody up there with Shego. We're not going to gang up on her. I'm going to handle it."

"So everything we've been doing up until now was for nothing?" Bonnie demanded hotly.

"No," Kim replied coolly. "If I lose, you'll be in perfect condition to run fast and hard."

* * *

Bonnie grew angrier by the second as she watched Kim and Shego engage each other in combat. All the preparation, all the uncertainty, all of the worrying had been for nothing, because in the end, Kim had probably planned to do this all along.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. Bonnie was the slightest bit worried about Kim, but mostly she was angry at her. Maybe a few blows to the head from Shego would make Kim realize that she (Bonnie) and Ron hadn't come to just sit on the sidelines and watch her be the hero. They'd put everything on the line to be here with her, and she thanked them by shutting them out. And honestly, it a made more sense for all of them to attack Shego at once. Maybe Bonnie and Ron couldn't do all that much, but even Shego couldn't move as fast as the Bonnie bots did. Kim knew that, and yet she'd insisted on taking on Shego alone.

Although, she wasn't exactly doing a bad job, Bonnie was forced to admit.

It was clear from the way they fought that the two women knew each other very well. Shego seemed to have a counter or a block for nearly all of Kim's attacks, and the ones she couldn't avoid seemed to be easily absorbed without as much as a wince. Kim was largely the aggressor, pressing the attack whenever she could. Kim was definitely connecting with more blows, but the few hits that Shego delivered seemed to have more impact. At first, Bonnie had assumed that Shego was simply the stronger of the two, but when one of Shego's punches ripped through Kim's shirt, Bonnie could see that the fist was glowing green, and the rip in Kim's shirt was actually smoking a bit. But Kim's only reaction was to slap at hole, as if it were a pesky bug, and continue the fight.

As the minutes flew by, it became clear that Kim was tiring faster than Shego. The redhead was breathing harder, moving slower, and connecting less and less. But Shego didn't smirk, didn't tease her, didn't do anything but avoid and block Kim's blows, a frighteningly calm look on her face.

"Shego's waiting for Kim to lose," Bonnie whispered.

"She's not going to lose," Ron said sharply. "KP will find a way. She always does."

Bonnie would've admired his loyalty, if it weren't so obvious that he was wrong. She was just minutes away from calling in the dogs and Bonnie bots to save Kim from her own foolish pride...and whatever Shego planned to do to her (and them) afterwards.

Then Kim extended too much on a punch, lost her balance, and stumbled right into Shego's waiting arms, trying to catch her breath.

"It was a nice try, Kimmie," Shego said softly, resting her chin on Kim's head. "But some things only get better with time."

"I agree," Kim gasped, just before she jerked her head up in the most vicious headbutt that Bonnie had ever seen (not that there had been many).

Shego's head snapped backwards, blood spraying from her mouth as she fell, landing flat on her back. Her eyes shut tightly as she began to murmur what had to be curses between spitting out mouthfuls of blood.

Kim had fallen to one knee, groaning as she carefully fingered her head. "It's your own fault, Shego," she said at last. "You've rubbed off on me."

"Ungrateful little..." Shego snarled, sitting up. "I am NEVER hugging you AGAIN!"

Kim snorted. "Please! I LET you! It was an act!"

"Yeah? Then stand up!" Shego challenged.

Kim scowled at her. "You're just mad because I surprised you!"

"I'm mad because you cheated!"

"Oh, and the plasma punches were legal?"

"Hey, you knew what this was! When have I ever held back against you?"

Kim took a deep breath and shakily got to her feet. "Fine. Let's just finish this."

Shego made no move to join her. In fact, she suddenly seemed even more tired than Kim, as if the headbutt had sapped every bit of strength she had left.

It took Kim a moment to notice this. "Shego?" she asked uncertainly.

Shego glared up at her, and opened her mouth to answer, only to spray another mouthful of blood down her front.

Kim's eyes widened, and she took a step forward, obviously intent on helping, either forgetting or being perfectly aware of who she was reaching out to.

"NO!" a voice howled, even as something black flew from a hidden panel in the wall and slammed into Kim, knocking her to the floor. It took Kim only seconds to recover, and she'd already made it to one knee again when her eyes finally locked on her attacker. Every bone and muscle in her body seemed to freeze.

Bonnie was having a hard time believing her own eyes. Because unless she was very mistaken, Kim Possible was now staring down a younger version of herself.

The girl was probably about half Kim's age, but it hardly seemed to matter. Her green eyes held the same determination that Bonnie had faced off with countless times. Her red hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she wore a simple black bodysuit with a green fist on the front. As if that wasn't indicator enough, she had postioned herself directly between Kim and Shego.

Kim finally found her voice, barely. "What...how..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "Why?" she asked at last.

The girl's eyes shone with fury. "Leave us alone! Stay away from my MOMMY!"

Kim reeled back as if she'd been struck. Her gaze went from the girl to Shego, and then back to the girl, her confusion obvious. "But...she's not...you can't be..."

Shego swallowed hard, and from the disgusted look on her face, it had been more blood. She raised her head and looked at the girl's back. "No, Kiki," she said softly. "That's enough."

The girl didn't move.

"Kiki," Shego said louder, more forcefully. "I said no."

"I can make her go away, Mommy," the girl insisted. "I can make sure she never bothers us again."

Bonnie suspected the pain on Shego's face had little to do with her wounds.

"No, Kiki," Shego repeated.

Ignoring her, the girl sprang at Kim, cocking back her arm.

"KIMBERLY ANNE POSSIBLE!"

The girl seemed to freeze in mid-air, and it was almost comical, the way both redheads instantly turned to Shego, guilt etched across their faces.

"Come here," Shego said softly.

Keeping an eye on Kim, the girl backed away until she was at Shego's side.

"I think we're going to have to call it a day, Kimmie," Shego sighed. "We'll finish this another time. Maybe." She looked at the still-open panel in the wall. "Time to send them home, Bee."

Bonnie almost found herself looking at Shego, until she noticed the small, mousy girl standing against the wall. Her big green eyes were framed by even bigger reading glasses, and the moment their gazes met, she snatched the glasses off, blushing furiously. "Bonnie Squad, I need you!" she squeaked.

The tiny brunette was instantly surrounded by not two, but three Bonnie bots. The third seemed a bit a taller than the others, and wore the same uniform as Kiki.

"Make sure our big sisters and Ron get home safely."

"Yes, Bonnie Prime," all three androids replied in unison.

Bonnie realized with a start that her own androids were obeying the girl, and before she could protest, one had seized her arms and lifted her over its head. "No!" she cried, struggling uselessly. "NO! PUT ME DOWN!" Thankfully, the android began to comply.

"Cover their mouths and then take them home!" the girl quickly instructed.

Bonnie tried to scream, but found a hand muffling the sound.

The girl actually looked a little sad. "Sorry, big sister, but you have to leave now. Mommy needs her rest."

Bonnie could only watch as she, Kim, and Ron were carried out of the room. She was able to see the girl and Kiki crowding around Shego, and the woman drawing them into a warm embrace before the android carrying Bonnie turned a corner, and the sight was lost to her.

* * *

The Bonnie bots didn't release their "captives" until they were safely back in the moon base.

"Well," Ron said slowly, "now what?"

"We can't go back," Kim muttered. "They'd just arm the defense systems, which we'd need the Bonnie bots to get past, and we can't take them again, obviously. Oh, and we can't risk hurting those girls, if they are who I think they are. In fact, I shouldn't have even hurt Shego, if she's really..."

"I doubt it," Bonnie interrupted. "I don't think she's going to be alive much longer, anyway. You saw how much blood she was spitting up. That couldn't have all been from your headbutt. Something was wrong with her before we ever got there, and she just did a very good job of hiding it." She closed her eyes. "Just like Auntie."

"It can't be exactly the same," Kim said quickly. "Can it?"

"I don't know," Ron disagreed. "Spitting up a lot of blood definitely seems like a blood disorder to me. Maybe you should ask your aunt for the details, Bonnie."

"On EVERYTHING," Kim added at once.

"Exactly what I was thinking," Bonnie said, frowning thoughtfully.

* * *

"Oh," was the only word out of Auntie's mouth.

"That's all you can say?" Bonnie demanded.

"Sorry, sugarplum. I guess Shego didn't teach me everything she knew about the time stream. Not that I expected her to, but I never would've expected this."

"Why's that?"

"Because it's crazy and stupid and emotional. Three things I never would've expected of Shego...mine or yours."

Bonnie bit her lip. "So...those little girls really were...us?"

"At the very least they had your names. The Bonnie bots obeyed, so there's no question with yours. The other one sounds too much like Kim to be anyone else. Are you sure they both called Shego their mother?"

"I couldn't have imagined something like that, Auntie. It's too impossible. Why do you ask?"

"It implies a strong attachment to Shego, and that doesn't happen overnight. Which means they've been calling her that for a long time. Which not only means that Shego is dying, but that she's aware of it."

Bonnie frowned. "Hoes does Shego having kids equal her dying?"

"It wouldn't, if she'd actually had them. But it's sounding like she took them from somewhere in the past. Rather, her 'Auntie' the Supreme One took them and gave them to her. The problem comes in raising them, which she must be doing if they consider her their mother. You can't just snatch people from one time and raise them in another. Well, you can, but it's very risky. They don't age quite the same way, and neither do the people they're in constant contact with. The more times a person travels through the time stream, the more chrono-energy their body absorbs. It's...well, like time cooties. But much worse than it sounds."

"So these...time cooties," Bonnie managed to get out with a straight face. "They're killing Shego?"

"Most likely. It sounds like the kids actually have them, not her. But they manifest themselves in different ways, usually damaging ones. For me, it was my blood. For the kids, they must be slowly poisoning Shego. They're probably not even aware of it, but Shego has to be. It's one of the first things...my Shego taught me. So she's keeping them with her despite that. She must be crazy about those kids. Crazy enough to die with them, at least."

"Was...your Shego lonely?" Bonnie asked.

"At times. But I would've thought she was just missing the Kim she remembered. Maybe she really wanted kids, though. Two birds with one stone this way. She might even be the very same Shego that dropped the kids off here."

"Will the girls die, too?"

"I doubt it. Sounds like the worst they'll have to deal with is losing their mother in the near future. Might be a good idea to try and talk them into leaving with the Bonnie Squad, if you can. This isn't their time, and they don't belong here any more than I did. The only difference is, I came here intending to die, but with a purpose."

Bonnie didn't look as if she agreed. "What if the Supreme One had a purpose in bringing them here?"

"If she did, what are the chances it was one we'd be okay with?"

"But this latest adventure proves there were things about her you didn't know."

Auntie sighed. "What really worries me is that I know you're right."

* * *

Shego collapsed onto her bed, nearly crushing Kiki in the process. Although, she was not aware of that fact until the girl let out a muffled, angry shout. It was only with help that Shego managed to roll off of her.

Shego's head swam for a moment, and when she finally managed to get her bearings, she found two pairs of concerned eyes staring down at her.

"Sorry to scare you, girls," Shego murmured weakly. "It's been a rough day. Mommy just needs a good nap."

"Are you still mad at Kiki, Mommy?"

Shego blinked, shifting her gaze between the two. Kiki said nothing, but it was clear from the look on her face that she'd been wondering the very same thing. "No. I know she was trying to help. But she needs to learn to LISTEN in the future, no matter what."

"I will," Kiki promised at once.

"Little liar," Shego chuckled softly, stroking the redhead's cheek. She turned her attention to the brunette. "And you, on the other hand, listened to me for once. Where'd that come from, huh?"

The brunette lowered her head. "I always listen to you, Mommy."

"Maybe, but you never DO anything I ask."

"Kiki's better at that stuff," the girl muttered evasively.

"The androids wouldn't have listened to Kiki. You had to send them away." Shego rubbed the girl's head. "You're special, kiddo. My special little Bonnie Bee." Shego winced as the girl latched onto her neck and buzzed playfully in her ear, but shot Kiki a stern look when she made a move to pull her sister away.

"Bee, Mommy needs her rest," Kiki said after a moment. "It's bedtime for us, anyway."

Bee loudly kissed her mother's cheek. "I hope you don't bleed tomorrow, Mommy," she whispered, and meant it.

"I hope so, too, Bee," Shego replied. "Go on to bed now. I'll see you in the morning."

Bee scrambled off the bed and ran out of the room. Kiki followed, but paused at the door.

Shego frowned at her. "Kiki. Bed."

"You better be alive tomorrow," Kiki threatened, "or I'll kick you."

"Well, if I'm dead, I won't feel it," Shego pointed out reasonably.

Kiki glared at her. "Don't you dare die."

"She's not dying, Kiki," said a voice from the corner. "She's just being annoying. Off to bed with you."

"But, Grammy-"

"Me and your mom need to talk. Don't worry, if she tries to die, I'll kick her myself. Promise."

Once Kiki had left the room, Shego sighed heavily. "Go on. Tell me I'm weak. Tell me I shouldn't have gotten attached to them. Tell me you're ashamed of me."

"Believe me, I'd tell you a lot more than that...if that's how I felt," the woman replied, smirking. "But that's not why ol' Grammy Supreme is here, kid."

Shego scowled up at her. "I hate it when you call me that."

"Yeah? Well, I got seniority, and I'm not afraid to use it. Anyway, you don't look like you're up for another fight just now. So do you mind if I mop up some of that blood while we talk, or are you going to be a big baby about it?"

"You're enjoying this," Shego muttered, throwing an arm over her face.

"Just a little!" the Supreme One called from the private washroom.

"So explain to me why I'm not getting the whole 'I told you so' speech?"

"We've had that conversation before, and it's boring. Besides, I'm here to ask you something, not yell at you." She stuck her head out of the washroom. "The girls are fine?"

"Kiki's a brat, and Bee's a wallflower, just like you said they'd be."

"Can't bring yourself to give them up, can you?"

Shego closed her eyes. "No, damn you."

"Hey, I warned you," the Supreme One protested as she emerged with a washcloth and a small basin of water. "And I won't say more than that, because we're not doing 'I told you so,' remember?"

Shego sighed. "Yeah, yeah. I just didn't believe you when you told me back then. I mean, I never saw myself having or wanting kids."

"We never do. That's how they get you." The Supreme One sat down on the bed. "But it's mostly my fault for even offering them to you in the first place. I took them, I brought them here. But look at you. A bloody mess and you don't even regret keeping them, do you?"

"Am I that transparent?"

"Nah, but I know myself, therefore I know you. And they are cute when they're not whining or crying or fighting each other. Anyway, you'd be crazy, not to want to raise your very own Kim Possible. Chance of a lifetime and all that. I was tempted myself."

"So what stopped you?" Shego asked.

"Funny thing about being happy. It's a fleeting thing at best, but some people would do anything to have it, for however long it lasts. I was happy once. Didn't really feel like getting my hopes up too much again. So I played the grandma. Occasional visits and that's it. I don't get too attached, and the girls still love their Grammy Supreme. Which left you with the short end of the stick, but I figured you wouldn't mind in the end. Looks like I was right about that, too."

"And about Bee. Without her, I might've had to finish that fight, and I'd be in a lot worse shape than I am."

"I saw. One hit? Shameful, kid. I'm not even sure you deserve the deep-tissue plasma massage I was thinking about giving you."

Shego glared at her. "Unlike you, I'm a mother of two. It takes a toll on you. And didn't you just admit to that being your fault?"

"So you were listening." The Supreme One carefully wiped the blood from Shego's face. "Should I say I'm sorry?"

"Why bother? Neither of us are."

"Good. Now roll over. You just earned that massage."

Shego chuckled as she did so. "So all that delegating wasn't because you'd lost your touch?"

"Lost it? I was trying to conserve it. I don't use the glow on just anyone anymore, you know. People have to earn that privilege."

"Yeah, I'm sure there's a bunch of people that would love to have their faces burned off. Hell, you probably only haven't tried it with me because I'm basically immune."

"Oh, stop it. If I was going to do that, I wouldn't have bothered getting to know you first. Now I like you, and it'd be a conflict of interest. I know, giving you the kids was one, too, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. I didn't set out to kill you, it just happened that way. And, well, if I'd tried to kill you, there was a good chance you would've beat me, being younger and all. But at least I didn't do anything terribly obvious, like point a gun at you."

"Don't know why you're telling me that. What, is it supposed to make me feel better?" Shego asked bitterly.

"Just making conversation. And you could be nicer to someone who's trying to help. Oh, and just between us, you really shouldn't be taking on Kim Possible and pals in your condition."

"Hey, I don't know if it's sunk in yet, but telling me how to live is pointless right now, considering I won't be doing it much longer. In fact, if you feel the urge to snap my neck at some point, give in to it. It's better than wasting away in front of the girls. I still got my pride."

"Well, that's how you feel, kid. Now think about them. They love you. And much as it's gonna annoy you, they'll wanna be there when you go. I owe them that much. So the only place you're going is to sleep."

Shego wanted to argue, but the intensely warm fingers moving down her spine erased everything in her mind but a hazy cloud of bliss. "That is...really distracting," she murmured softly.

"It was either that or club you with something. And like I said, you've been through enough today."

"So what is this? Sympathy or pity?"

"It's an apology," the Supreme One admitted. "For getting you caught up in this. You won't believe it, but I do feel bad. It's like we're not meant to be mothers, ever, you know? I mean, right now, you probably hate my guts for several reasons, but when you're gone it'll still feel like I've lost another child."

Shego's back stiffened. "You mean there was a first one?"

"Oh. Well, no. It's just...ah, screw it. When you can't lower your internal temperature enough for an egg to survive, you tend to exaggerate the difference between a full-grown baby and an egg."

"So that's another reason you stopped using the glow."

"Didn't work, of course. All I got out of it was years of stress and a few gray hairs. In the end I wanted to power up more than I wanted a kid. At least that was something I knew how to do."

"I'm sorry," Shego said quietly.

The Supreme One grinned and rubbed Shego's head. "Oh, stop it. You've got the same curse, so it's hardly your fault. You're a blessing, really. You're the closest I'll ever get to having my own kid. Why do you think I keep coming back here, huh? Because I like being resented and ignored? Because of the girls? Or because of you?"

"Never really gave it much thought, after you didn't try to kill me. I had two other pests to worry about."

"You should really think about spending more time with them, kid. They'll appreciate it more than you seem to think."

Shego shook her head. "I don't see how. I'm not what I'd consider a good mother."

"They don't want a good mother, they want you. Not me, not an android, not a nanny, just you."

* * *

Tara grunted in her sleep as something poked her insistently. "What?"

"Move over, that's what," Bonnie whispered in her ear.

With little warning, Tara yanked Bonnie into the bed and covered her face with swift kisses.

"Would you just...HEY! Stop, Tara!" Bonnie gasped when she got some breathing room.

"You're alive!" Tara said happily, kissing her again for good measure.

"Yeah, and we're all real happy about that. Now would you calm down for a minute so I can tell you something?"

"What? We're going back to Earth now?"

"Not exactly."

Tara stared at her. "But...you won, right? You all came back, didn't you?"

"No and yes. We didn't lose, exactly, but it wasn't quite a win, either."

"A draw, then?"

"Doesn't feel like one to me. Oh, and we have a new roommate now."

Before Tara could ask, a shadow fell over her, and she looked up to see a Bonnie bot looming over them.

"Um...two wasn't enough?"

"We liberated this one. Well, she liberated herself on…command, sort of. It's complicated. And she won't stop following me around, no matter what I tell her! Someone must have reprogrammed her."

"So let me try." Tara pointed at the android. "Go sit in the corner, please."

At once, the Bonnie bot turned around, walked to the corner of the room, and sat down, drawing her knees up to her chest.

"Did you try that?" Tara asked.

"I told her to get lost and leave me alone."

"Well, that's hardly the same. I asked nicely."

"I'm not supposed to HAVE to ask nicely, they're supposed to do what I say!" Bonnie snapped.

"Then maybe this one only responds to being asked nicely," Tara replied with a smug look.

Bonnie looked doubtfully at the android. "Come here, please."

The Bonnie bot didn't move.

"See! Nothing!"

"Come here, please," Tara repeated.

The Bonnie bot jerked to her feet and crossed the room, stopping at the foot of the bed.

Tara looked stumped. "I don't know what to tell you, Bonnie. You DID ask nice that time. Maybe she just likes my voice?"

"It's not that. She's only listening to you now. But, before...wait, ask her who she's programmed to obey!"

Tara shrugged and looked at the android. "Answer, please."

The Bonnie bot's head snapped up. "This unit is currently instructed to obey only you, Tara."

Bonnie frowned. "That's funny. She doesn't say 'Prime' like the others."

Tara didn't seem to have heard her. "What do you mean by 'currently,' ah, Bonnie?"

"This unit has only two modes of operation: Safe Mode and Battle Mode. While in Safe Mode, only Tara's commands apply to this unit. While in Battle Mode, only Bonnie Prime's commands apply to this unit. This unit is currently in Safe Mode," the android answered.

"I wonder who set her up to work like that?" Tara asked.

Bonnie shrugged. "Wouldn't hurt to ask her."

Tara nodded. "Please answer, um...ah..."

"Please excuse the interruption, Tara, but this unit was designated 'BB1' by previous user: Bonnie Prime."

"BB1 it is, then. You were saying?"

"This unit was reprogrammed by the Supreme One."

Bonnie and Tara traded wary looks.

"So...the Supreme One...told you to obey us?" Tara asked slowly.

BB1 nodded. "Yes, Tara."

Tara looked at Bonnie. "Well, I'm confused."

"Same here," Bonnie replied. "But so long as she's not trying to attack us, I guess I don't mind her watching while we sleep."

"You are going to sleep now?" BB1 asked abruptly.

"Um...sure," Bonnie said slowly.

BB1 lurched forward, grabbing the sheets and tucking Bonnie and Tara in tightly.

Bonnie and Tara glanced at each other uncertainly.

"Do you require a story? Nightlight? Warm milk?" BB1 asked.

"That's okay, BB1," Tara said. "We're fine, thanks."

"Would you prefer to awaken at a certain time?"

"No, we'll manage on our own. Good night, BB1."

The android instantly closed her eyes and apparently went to sleep herself.

Tara sighed. "Well, she's...efficient. If we were kids, anyway."

"Actually, we were. Well, I was. It's...complicated."

"Can it wait until morning? I just want to lie here and be thankful we're together again."

"Really?" Bonnie asked softly.

Tara smiled. "Well, I'd really rather show you how thankful I am, but, um, BB1 tucked us in pretty tight..."

* * *

Kim was almost done with her bowl of cornflakes when Bonnie stepped into the kitchen. Swallowing, Kim was about to greet her, until she noticed the sour look on her friend's face. "Bonnie?"

"I'm not speaking to you," Bonnie said simply, walking past her to reach the freezer, where she pulled out a small container of ice cream.

"Mom won't be happy if she catches you eating that for breakfast."

"Hey, I saw a younger version of myself last night...in glasses. I think I deserve a little ice cream," Bonnie snapped.

"That can't be why you're mad at me."

Bonnie slammed the ice cream on the table. "I'm mad at you, Kim Possible, because you would rather get the crap beat out of you than let me or Ron help you!"

Kim's face softened. "Bonnie, that's not why-"

"No! I'm sick of this! Does being the hero mean THAT much to you?"

"Can I at least say one thing?"

"WHAT?"

Kim took a deep breath. "I was afraid."

Bonnie stared at her. "What?"

"If Shego had really wanted to fight you or Ron, you wouldn't be standing there right now. At least, not comfortably. If I make it look easy, let me assure you it's not. I didn't take Shego on because of my ego. I did it to keep you two safe. Especially you."

"What are you talking about? I trained with you and everything! I was ready!"

"I couldn't take the chance that you weren't, or that Shego would try something new. Bonnie, I saw you die once, and I can't do it again. I just can't, okay? So if you want to hate me for preferring you breathing, then you'll just have to. It's nothing I haven't lived with before." Kim picked up her bowl and put it in the sink. She paused there and lowered her head, taking a deep, shuddering breath.

Bonnie hesitantly approached her. "Kim...I didn't know."

"I told you, you're family now, Bonnie. Even when you weren't, I felt the same way. I couldn't live with myself if I let you down again."

"Why didn't you tell me? If I'd known you felt that way..."

"You would've worried. Everyone would've, if they knew I wasn't over this. Well, I'm not, and I may never be. Seeing someone you know die is hard. Especially when you've just started really liking that person after so long, and you still can't get that night out of the back of your mind."

"I think we need to hug," Bonnie said bluntly.

Kim turned around, wiping at her eyes. "Why?"

"You just indirectly admitted that you love me. And you apparently need to be reminded that I have a heartbeat on a constant basis. So let's just do it."

"And if someone walks in?"

"I'm checking you for lice."

"Or I'm checking YOU for lice."

"We're checking each other for lice, then."

"Fair enough."

Bonnie slid her arms around Kim's neck, trying not to get misty at the thought of Kim trying to protect her. She was so distracted that she didn't think to count or act uneasy.

Several moments had passed before Kim murmured, "You know, I think we just broke a personal record. How long has it been?"

"I forgot to count," Bonnie admitted.

"I guess that's a good sign."

"Should we let go now?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but...I really don't want to."

"What? Don't want to let go or don't want to continue?"

"Don't want to let go. This is...kinda nice."

"Because I'm not dead?"

"I was thinking more that this is how it'd feel if I had a sister."

"Oh," Bonnie said quietly.

"So. How long do you think a good, thorough lice check lasts?"

"I'm pretty sure we've passed it."

"Right," Kim agreed. "Wanna stop?"

"Only if you want to," Bonnie replied.

"Interesting proposal. So you're saying we could be stuck like this until lunch? In theory?"

"Look, if you wanna hug for THAT long, get a plushie. Or Ron, he'd love that. The plushie wouldn't get sweaty, though."

"Well, it was just a theory." Kim squeezed a little tighter. "Bonnie?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"That's...nice."

"You could say it back now."

"Yeah, I could..."

"You're not going to, are you?"

"I'm not shoving you away or shouting. That's love enough."

"Coming from you, I guess it is. We can stop now."

Bonnie and Kim let go of each other, looking greatly relieved.

"You do tell Tara, though, right?"

"Sometimes."

Kim looked shocked.

"I find other ways to let her know!"

Kim's face turned red. "Oh. THOSE ways."

"NO! Well, not always-"

"BONNIE."

"Okay! You brought it up, anyway."

"But...Tara tells you, doesn't she?"

"All the time. She even has a shirt that says so for her."

"What's so wrong with that?"

"You don't get it, Kim. The shirt SAYS so. Audibly."

"Oh. I've never heard it."

"I don't let her wear it in front of anyone, obviously."

Kim smiled. "She really does love you, Bonnie."

"I'm aware."

"So if you can't tell me, at least tell her. Audibly."

"Why is everyone so stuck on hearing that? I mean, when you even hinted at it just now, I felt all warm and mushy, so why-"

"So you'd rather me hint than actually say it?"

"Yeah. At least then I could pretend you were being sarcastic."

"That might work for us, but you and Tara are in love. She needs to hear it. More than that, she deserves to. Anyone who could put up with you for this long does."

Far from being angry, Bonnie looked thoughtful. "Okay, here's the deal. I'll tell Tara I love her...at least three times a week, if you agree to regular lice checks just as often."

Kim sighed. "It's okay to call them hugs, Bonnie..."

"Lice checks," Bonnie said firmly, holding out her hand. "Deal?"

"Only if you agree that the last lice check counted, too. So you now owe Tara one."

"Fine. Now shake."

"We COULD just check each other again instead..."

"So I'll owe Tara two, you mean?"

"Wow. Your math skills are astonishing, Bonnie."

"Are all our little moments going to end like this?"

"We wouldn't be us if they didn't...sis," Kim answered, clapping her on the shoulder.

Bonnie made a face. "Look, I'm glad you prefer me living, but let's not get too crazy here, okay?"

"Whatever you say, sis."

"Stop doing that!"

"Love you, too, sis."

"KIM!"

"Yes, sis?"

Bonnie glared at her. "You're enjoying this."

"And I'll stop the moment you admit it doesn't really bother you. I'll even let you be the big sister."

"So I can get older faster? I don't think so."

Kim grinned and slung an arm around Bonnie's shoulders. "Don't ever change, Bonnie."

"I hadn't planned on it. Why do you keep touching me?"

"It's a half-hug...I mean, check."

"So, what, I'm supposed to just say 'love' to Tara for that one?"

"Be creative," Kim suggested. "Only you could turn affection into a chore."

"I will have you know that all this touching is actually making me a bit nauseous. So it's hardly affection in my book."

"Spoken like a true little sister," Kim said proudly.

"YOUNGER sister."

"Do I get to call you Bon-Bon, or is that a blood relative thing?"

Bonnie glared death at her. "I may not be able to break your arm, but that doesn't mean I won't try."

* * *

Final Chapter

Epilogue: Time-Torn

The tale of a woman who had to stop existing in order to truly live.

For those who are confused, the Epilogue will contain: how Kiki and Bee have been raised so far, why BB1 was reprogrammed, and what will happen to Kiki and Bee (and Shego) in the near future.

Here's the thing. I heard from another a fellow FFN writer (oddly enough, on another site) that we're not supposed to respond to reviews in our stories. It sounded like a strange rule, but it wasn't the first one FFN has had, so I checked. I couldn't find any reference to that rule in the TOS, and I asked FFN Staff. I'm guessing if you ask them now, you've got a better chance of hearing back from them before I do.

I've already got one strike against me for a story that broke the rules (mind you, it wasn't against the rules when I posted it, but anyway). I'd really rather not get banned, so until I know for sure I won't, I won't be answering reviews in stories posted on FFN.

If you've got a burning question or comment, I suggest you leave a valid e-mail address, otherwise the chain of communication ends there. Or you can track me down at the one forum I do currently frequent, the KP Slash Board. (chances are you'll find a link to a great story or two as well)

I like to respond to readers, especially the ones that piss me off. But if it's against the rules, well...sorry.


	11. TimeTorn

Notes: Doubters led me to this ending. I have to say I doubt anyone saw it coming, since I didn't, either.

Epilogue: Time-Torn

I should be dead.

In some times, I AM dead.

And before you doubt the truth of either of those statements, picture something with me.

Do you have any idea what it's like to watch yourself die? Not once, not twice, but hundreds of times? Different and varied situations, all coming down to basically one horrifying, brutal end?

I do. And let me tell you, it'll keep you up more nights than any stalker or serial killer on the loose ever could.

The ironic thing being that I owe my life...that is, what I have of it...to a woman that saved me only to enslave me.

At the time, I'd only caught glimpses of her on the evening news, and knew her very vaguely as one of the colorful characters in Kim Possible's Rogues Gallery. And because I didn't know her, I assumed she was dangerous, but that our paths would never cross.

I was right on one count, at least.

The first time I actually saw her in person, she was standing in the middle of the street, glowing like a living lighthouse. Had it been raining, foggy, a lot darker, or if Josh just hadn't been paying attention, he might have run her over.

Even now, though, I have my doubts as to whether it would've killed her.

If you've ever seen a snake catch and kill a mouse, you probably assume that no mouse would ever be capable of killing a snake. That's why I don't think being run over would've stopped her.

Because she proceeded, for reasons unknown at the time, to kill Josh's car. I'm just thankful she gave us a few seconds to get out first.

It's very hard to kill something that was never alive in the first place, but she pulled it off easily. At the end, if you hadn't seen what the mess started as, you never would've known it used to be a car.

When she was done, she wiped her hands clean on Josh's tux, grabbed me, and dragged me off without a word. For all I know, Josh is still standing on the side of the road, staring at the remains of his car in shock. Considering what we'd just seen, I forgive him for not reacting faster.

I'm pretty sure I put up a decent fight, which is probably why I can't remember much after that point.

I do know that the next time I opened my eyes, I was lying in the most powerful bed in the world, so to speak. At the time, I had no idea who the Supreme One was, or why she would ever concern herself with me.

I found out quickly, though. She told me that I was important, and that if it wasn't for her, I would be dead. Then she proved it, by showing me again and again how I would've died. She showed me how Bonnie's life almost always spun out of control without me, often clashing directly with Kim's, but not always (and even then, it was usually because one of them had died young, too). I'd never realized how much calming influence I had on Bonnie, or how much she'd miss me if I suddenly wasn't there. For the first time, I knew for certain that someone loved me with all their heart, and I think that only made it hurt worse for me.

The Supreme One refused to send me back to my time. She said there was a better way to use my positive influence. A way that would benefit both Bonnie and Kim at the same time. When she told me her plan, I told her she was out of her mind.

Then she told me I didn't have a choice.

Suddenly, her plan made a lot more sense to me.

* * *

The first time I saw them, Kiki and Bee were understandably upset. They'd just been snatched from Pre-K, and didn't care for their new names or their kidnapper. Aside from that, they weren't too fond of each other, but crisis can bring people together in strange ways.

They had obviously seen the Supreme One do something scary and violent, because their eyes stayed on her whenever she was around, and they stayed huddled together when they could. I was instructed to watch them, but considering their fear, it hardly seemed fair to just do that. So I tried my best to be nice to them, for all the good it did.

They knew I was with the Supreme One, so they didn't trust me, either. But they were sure I couldn't summon plasma out of my hands, so I was pretty much a lamb by comparison. I had a hard time convincing them that I was a prisoner, too, though. The Supreme One was actually pretty accommodating with me, up to a point. She gave me anything I needed, and a few things I just wanted, but I wasn't allowed to leave my quarters for any reason. Kiki and Bee were pretty much restricted to doing what the Supreme One said, when and how she said. I felt bad for them, but I'm ashamed to admit that I was hesitant to help them, thinking the Supreme One might not like it.

Their lives were very irregular. The Supreme One would take the girls with her and vanish for days at a time, only to suddenly turn up and dump them on me, with instructions to keep them healthy until she was ready for them again. More often than not, the girls came back bloody and/or bruised, and I was expected to patch them up as best as I could. Oddly enough, they were never burned, but I think that was something all three of us were thankful for.

As I spent more time with the girls, I noticed a change in them. Where Kiki had been wary and afraid, she became self-assured, and suspicious...of me, anyway. I guess the Supreme One had really made her paranoid. Bee, where she had been...well, Bonnie-like, became quiet and withdrawn. But apparently all the patch jobs and soft words eventually impressed her, because she almost seemed happy to see me at times. Neither of the girls ever said very much, but Bee at least thanked me for taking care of them occasionally. It wasn't much, but at least they didn't react to me the way they did her.

* * *

For a while, things were... well, as good as they could get under the circumstances. I felt like I was slowly but surely making a real connection with Bee, at least. Kiki never really warmed up to me, but truth be told, I was more interested in bonding with Bee, anyway.

Then the Supreme One decided she was going to split the girls up for a month.

I didn't like the idea from the start. Kiki would probably be fine, but if Bee had gotten attached to me from our minimal contact, she had to be even closer to Kiki.

As I said, Bee had been pretty quiet, but the moment I broke the bad news to her (of course I was made to do it), she howled like a wounded animal and threw the worst tantrum I've ever seen. The Supreme One and Kiki had already gone by then, so I couldn't do much but wait for Bee to cry herself out. She did, after about three hours, and was so exhausted when I picked her up that she could only whimper a little.

I felt horrible as I put Bee to bed, and even though she went right to sleep, I curled up beside her and gently draped my arm over her. If I was going to be the only person she saw for a whole month, I at least wanted us to get along, and I hoped she had gotten most of her crying out already. I could count the times I'd seen Bonnie cry on one hand, but each and every time broke my heart, and somehow, seeing Bee cry was twice as bad.

Fortunately, Bee got used to our situation faster than I expected. When she finally got it into her head that it would just be us for a while, and that I was this nice all the time, she started talking and never really stopped unless she was sleeping. She told me how the Supreme One was training them for something, and how much it hurt even when they got it right. She told me how Kiki had promised to protect her, and how Kiki sang to her when she couldn't sleep. She told me my hair smelled nice, and wanted to know if I could sing her to sleep. I promised her the best hummed lullaby in history, and if she had any complaints, she was kind enough to keep them to herself.

It was strange, the way we seemed to click after a while. Bee started off calling me "Ms. Tara," then "Nana Tara," "Auntie Tara," and finally just calling me by name, which I'd been hoping for all along. It was almost like having Bonnie back, yet entirely different at the same time. Of course, I didn't tell her about Bonnie, I thought it might be too big of a shock for her.

Turns out, I didn't have to. At the end of the month, the Supreme One turned up, but instead of Kiki, she had a gift for Bee.

"This," the Supreme One said proudly, gesturing to the android, "is your new best friend, Bee. She's here to play with you and keep you entertained. You can name her and everything. But she's a robot, so don't expect her to get too excited about it."

Bee wasn't really sure what to make of the android at first. Sure enough, the android did just about anything she asked, so long as it didn't involve something she had no business doing. It even obeyed my requests, which confused me for a bit as well. But we both got used to it, me because she looked so much like Bonnie, and Bee because she'd been lonely without Kiki, and that was a role I just couldn't fill.

Before long, I began to hope that the Supreme One would abandon her plan, and just leave Bee in the care of myself and BB1. It was a foolish hope, but I couldn't help it. Bee seemed genuinely happy with us, and I didn't want that to be taken away from her.

The Supreme One didn't take it away, so much as she moved it without warning. She explained that Kiki had been staying with her "daughter" (I knew it was a lie the instant she said that), and that we were going to live with them now. The idea of Kiki being raised by a younger Supreme One gave me little if any comfort, but Bee was thrilled at the thought of a reunion with what she had come to think of as her sister.

The Kiki we were reunited with wasn't the one we'd last seen, however. She had changed yet again, though for better or for worse was debatable. Kiki was even more serious than I remembered. She didn't smile, didn't laugh, didn't even greet Bee with a hug when they first saw each other. To my amazement, she just nodded briefly, leaving poor Bee to stand there looking hopelessly lost and hurt.

That night, Bee went to bed early, crying herself to sleep in BB1's arms. I, on the other hand, finally got to meet the woman who had, for all intents and purposes, turned Kiki into a child-shaped chunk of ice.

And I have to say, I still don't know quite how she did it.

I was expecting a monster, someone who made the Supreme One flinch.

Instead, I got Shego, probably the most mercurial person I've ever met. A better of way putting it is that she could go from pleased to pissed in three tenths of a second, but despite that, I couldn't help but admire her. She was easygoing at times, tense and unpredictable at others. For having an even shorter fuse than the Supreme One, she didn't yell half as much as I would've thought. It was a long time before I realized that Kiki, while pretty much having the emotional range of a rock, had a calming influence on Shego. Don't get me wrong, when they fought everyone knew it, but afterwards, it was no surprise to find them quietly playing chess.

For the next few days, Bee did everything she could think of to win her sister back. But she couldn't compete with Shego for Kiki's attention, no matter what she did. Shego, at least, recognized that while Bee had some physical talents, she was not going to keep up with Kiki without encouragement from Kiki, and that clearly wasn't going to happen. But instead of giving up on Bee completely, Shego gave her books.

Not having much else to do, Bee read...and kept reading until that was basically all she did every day, between spending time with BB1 and I. I was honestly a little surprised, because these weren't fairy tales and fantasies. I distinctly remember a rather detailed guide on how to punch a man so that his ribcage would break and puncture his heart. It was the first and only time I tried to read Bee a bedtime story. BB1 had no problem reading such things, and more than once I caught her quoting from "The Art of War" as she put Bee to bed.

In the back of her mind, Bee never really forgot about Kiki. She finally hatched a plan that would force Kiki to spend time with her, and I'm proud to say it worked. Bee asked Shego to explain some of the concepts in her latest book, and only minutes before she knew Shego and Kiki almost always played chess. So when Kiki went looking for her opponent, she found Shego reading to Bee. To say this upset Kiki was a huge understatement, she was absolutely furious, thinking that Bee was trying to steal Shego from her. Oddly enough, it was Shego who bridged the gap between them: she began to hold Kiki responsible for lessons that could only be learned through sitting in on Bee's nightly readings. In the end, Kiki had no choice. She honestly didn't like disappointing Shego, and this way she could make sure that any time Bee spent with Shego, all three of them would be present.

Gradually, Kiki began to accept (or re-accept) that Bee was her sister in every way that still mattered, though they were never as close as they had been before. Kiki still thought it was her duty to protect Bee, but you would never catch them playing together, or even spending time together unless it was at Shego's demand. Bee seemed to be fine with that, since she had me to talk to, BB1 to play with, and Shego reading to her every night.

As Bee grew closer to Shego, she seemed to need me and BB1 even less. It hurt, and I was jealous, but I couldn't really do anything. I wanted Bee to feel loved, and unless I was very much mistaken, Shego genuinely cared for both girls, in her own way. I found myself spending more time with BB1, and while she wasn't much for conversation, just looking at her was a huge comfort. I realized Bee wasn't the only one I wanted to be loved: I missed Bonnie terribly, and even if she'd never said those three little words, I knew in my heart that she would never care for anyone quite the same way she did me. The thought made me happy and very sad at the same time, but there was nothing for it.

* * *

Today is the day. I can feel it. It's in the way a sort of protective haze settles over my mind, and I know any major shocks will just be numbed, and that I'll feel at some point in the future, when I can afford a moment to completely break down. Only a moment, though.

I'm just about to sit down to my usual muffin and juice, and that's when it happens.

The door flies open, and I'm vaguely aware of Bee shouting and tugging on my arm and crying and screaming all at once.

I can feel my face is still blank as I pick her up and hold her close, murmuring comforting but ultimately useless words in her ear. I force myself not to let her tears get to me as I carry her into the hall.

Aside from Bee's sniffles, it is strangely quiet. Normally, there would at least be the steady droning of security...well, drones, but nothing today. It it fitting and somewhat unsettling.

Shego's door is open for the first time that I can recall. For all the time she devoted to the girls, the woman liked her privacy. Needed it, I suspect. I pause, unsure as to whether I should take Bee inside.

I'm saved the trouble when Kiki emerges a moment later. She gives me a dark look (the same one she always gives me), and quietly offers to look after Bee for a few minutes. The moment I put her down, Bee latches onto Kiki, and for once, she doesn't seemed to mind...much.

As I enter the room, the first impression I get is that Shego is just sleeping. She's resting on her side, and the blanket is drawn up to her waist. But there is no rise and fall of her chest, and I even bother to check for a pulse a few times.

Thankfully, there isn't blood. Well, not much. I finally spot a tiny red smear just below her lips. And, upon entering the private washroom, I find only one towel with blood on it. Kiki's doing, no doubt. I think she might have respected Shego more than she actually loved her, but either way, she couldn't let the woman pass away looking a mess. It occurs to me that Kiki was probably there when it happened, but if so, she was taking it the way she took just about everything: well.

On my way out, I notice a single strand of black hair has fallen into Shego's face. I never considered myself especially close to the woman, but I can't suppress the instinctive notion that I should brush the hair back before I leave. I approach the bed to do so when a voice interrupts me.

"Don't touch her!"

I freeze, turning my head to see the Supreme One entering the room. She doesn't look angry, just...concerned.

"I'm sorry," is all I can think to say.

She blinks and shakes her head, smiling sadly. "I'm not mad at you. It's just...she's mine. My responsibility. You've got your own, now, don't you?"

"Yes," I hear myself say.

"I'll take care of the...the body. Everything here, actually. You just...do what you have to."

"You're sure?"

"I have to," the Supreme One says simply. "I owe her that much. Let the girls say goodbye if they haven't already. Make them understand that they'll never see her again. Any version of her."

I nod, even as I wonder if anyone could pull that off, much less me.

"It's you they need now, Tara. They just have to realize it first."

She's right, of course. She often is, but she's not rubbing my face in it this time. I'm not going to miss that...but I am going to miss her, I realize for the first time. I reach out and lightly touch her arm before I can stop myself.

The Supreme One looks at me, really looks at me in a way that she hasn't since the day she first dropped us here. It's her way of saying, "Okay, you can get away with that this time, but don't push it."

I feel incredibly foolish as I tell her just what I was thinking, and to my amazement, she smiles and places her hand over my own.

"Of course you're going to miss me. I'm addictive that way. Now, go see to the girls, and come find me before you leave. I've got one last thing to give you."

I find the girls in my room. Bee is still a mess, and Kiki's done all the packing for both of them. I have wonder how much the Supreme One really told her, and how much she just figured out on her own. She seems especially mad at me, as if I somehow killed Shego.

I have to wonder if the Supreme One told her who was responsible for that, or if Kiki also figured that out. I hope she doesn't know either way, and if she does, that she won't tell Bee.

There's not a whole lot of time to sugarcoat the situation. I tell them that we'll be leaving today, that we probably won't be back. Bee doesn't cry any less, but she doesn't get any worse, either. Kiki just glares at me in silence. I tell them I'll do my best to take good care of them. Bee manages a watery smile, and Kiki sort of grunts, which is better than I expected.

At first I think it's odd that neither of them asks why the Supreme One isn't taking us in again, but they probably know better. She'd always limited her visits, once the girls had Shego. She made it clear that her interest in them was fading at best. I think even Kiki had to prefer me to the Supreme One, because I would at least give them all my attention.

I ask them if they need to do anything before we go. Bee asks to see her Grammy Supreme one more time, and Kiki opts to go with her, more or less out of obligation. I suspect she'll be doing that a lot more often from now on.

The Supreme One is still with Shego, almost absently stroking her hair as we enter. I'm not sure what to make of that, or of the fact that she doesn't stop upon noticing us. It doesn't seem to bother the girls, at least, so I don't say anything.

"Tara is going to look after you girls now," she says quietly. "Me, I'm going to look after your mother. So no need to worry about her."

"Will you still come visit?" Bee asks in a rather hollow voice. She already knows the answer, I can tell.

"Don't think so, Bee. I can't go where you're going. At least, I shouldn't. You're Tara's girls now. Not mine, not your mother's."

"My name is Bonnie. Not Bee."

The Supreme One blinks, and slowly smiles. "Yes. Yes, it is. My mistake."

* * *

As the Flanhole opens up before I us, I have to wonder why.

Why put the girls through all this trouble, only to give them to me?

The Supreme One wouldn't tell me, she only said it was her plan.

I asked her if there wasn't an easier way to bring Kim and Bonnie together as sisters.

"Of course there were easier ways," she said. "But this was the only way I could do it, and survive to make sure they were taken care of. And you know as well as I do that those girls needed you from the start."

There shouldn't be any real trouble. I have documents, signed by Shego and the Supreme One, naming me the legal guardian of the girls. This is assuming no one realizes that they were kidnapped in the first place. But at this point, I'm not even sure the girls themselves recall that little fact. At least, I don't think they'd bring it up.

I admit I don't know where we're going. The Supreme One only said that we'd be safe and happy there.

I step through first, and the girls know to wait one minute before they follow.

When I open my eyes, I know I'm in Middleton. There's a huge sign that says the large building I'm standing in front of is the Middleton Space and Time Research Center. I'm pretty sure it used to just be the Space Center, but that's not really important.

Well, it is, but not as important as the person I spot (and hear) cursing when she drops her car keys.

She picks them up, stands, and finally notices me.

It's Bonnie. MY Bonnie. I don't know how I know, but I do. I just do. She's older...much older than she should be. She's even wearing glasses, but they make her look distinguished and intelligent.

For a moment, she does nothing, and I'm afraid she doesn't know me, or worse, that she's forgotten me.

"You're late, T," she says softly, her voice cracking. "I thought you were just going to the dance."

"Sorry, but some crazy lady killed Josh's car."

Bonnie slowly comes over and wraps her arms around me, burying her face in my hair. "Figures. I spend my whole life looking for you, and you just show up like nothing even happened."

Just then, the girls appear behind me.

Bonnie lets go and smiles. "You three had better come inside. You need to be disinfected."

"What does that mean?" I ask.

"You've been in the time stream, T. Just because you left us behind doesn't mean we don't know anything now. Once Wade gives you all a good looking over, we'll go from there. If everything checks out okay, you can all come home with me tonight."

The girls look hesitant.

Bonnie smiles at them again. "I bet you two have some really cool names, don't you?"

Bee nods. "My name is Bonnie."

"Wow. That's my name, too. Maybe we're related."

Bee smiles. "I hope so."

"And you must be Kim, right?" Bonnie asks Kiki.

"Yes," Kiki says after a slight pause.

"Are you sure you've got room for us?" I ask as Bonnie leads us inside.

She looks at me like I'm crazy and grips my arm. "Don't be stupid, Tara. I'm never letting you out of my sight again. I'll make room."

"I missed you, too."

Bonnie chuckles. "Then you can show it by limiting your kidnappings to this point in time."

"I'll do my best," I promise, and it seems to be enough for her.

I briefly wonder if this was in the Supreme One's plan all along, and decide it doesn't matter. I'm home, I have my best friend back, and the girls are safe. I have everything I need, everything I'll ever need. I finally feel truly alive, because I belong here, and I'll do my best to make sure the girls feel the same way.

The End.


End file.
